zzo 

M161 

'''SI 


-Ajvo    TEACHING 


IRINCIPLES    A^Lj   PROBLEMS 


BY 


CLARENCE   G.  HAMILTON,  A.M. 

ASSOCIATE    PROFESSOR    O^    MUSIC    AT 
WELLESLEY    COLLEGE 


BOSTON 

OLIVER   DITSOX   COMPANY 


|nE\V    YORK 

DITSON   &   CO. 


PHILADELPHIA 
J.     E.      DITSON     &     CO. 


CHICAGO 

LYON   &   HEALY 


^>'^l^># 


%  m.  i 


^  k    i^ 


:-i  ».  ife-    m>  # ,  Hrv::  **''^  ihr'^^ 


PIANO    TEACHING 


ITS 


PRINCIPLES    AND    PROBLEMS 


BY 


CLARENCE   G.  HAMILTON,  A.M. 

associate  l'rokes«or  of  music  at 
wf:llesley  college 


BOSTON 
OLIVER    DITSOX   COMPANY 


NEW    YORK 

C.    H.    DITSON    &   CO. 


PHILADELPHIA 

J.    E.    DITSON   &   CO. 


CHICAGO 

LYON   &   HEALY 


I 


/AUSIC  LIBRAR 
UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA    i 

BERKELEY        J 
- — ^ 


Copyright,  MCMX 
By  Olivku  Ditson  Co>ipany 


Tnternational  Copyright  Secured 


Stanbopc  iPreas 

F.    H.   GILSON     COMPANY 
BOSTON.     U.S.A. 


PREFACE 


I  AM  frequently  asked  by  students  who  are  starting  out  on 
their  own  account  as  piano  teachers,  or  who  have  had  some 
experience  in  such  work,  for  advice  concerning  knotty  prob- 
lems which  they  are  encountering.  Realizing  that  there  is  an 
almost  total  lack  of  available  and  systematic  literature  to 
which  I  can  refer  them,  I  have  attempted  to  supply  this 
deficiency  in  the  following  pages.  In  doing  so,  I  have  con- 
stantly borne  in  mind  actual  questions  which  have  been  pro- 
pounded to  me  concerning  the  subjects  discussed.  To  these  I 
have  not  attempted  to  give  encyclopedic  answers,  but  have 
simply  suggested  directions  in  which  solutions  may  be  discov- 
ered by  the  ingenuity  of  the  teacher. 

Some  few  of  the  ideas  thus  brought  forward  I  have  gleaned 
from  writings  on  the  subject;  many  have  come  from  my  teach- 
ers and  other  friends  in  the  profession;  while  the  remainder 
have  occurred  as  the  fruit  of  my  own  labors.  None  of  them, 
therefore,  are  advocated  merely  from  a  theoretical  course  of 
reasoning,  but  all  have  been  tried  in  the  furnace  of  actual 
experience,  and  have  not  been  found  wanting. 

I  venture  to  hope,  accordingly,  that  among  the  thoughts 
presented  each  piano  teacher  may  discover  something  of  stim- 
ulating power,  and  that  those  who  are  now  piano  students,  or 
are  seeking  by  themselves  to  keep  in  touch  with  modern 
methods  and  materials,  may  find  an  occasional  help  by  the  way. 
It  is  possible,  also,  that  the  book  may  be  found  useful  by  those 
conservatories  and  private  teachers  who  are  engaged  in  the 
laudable  and  much  needed  work  of  conducting  training  classes 
for  future  music  teachers. 

Clarence  G.  Hamilton. 

Wellesley,  Mass.,  June  9,  1910. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  Page 

I.   The  Piano  Teacher's  Equipment 1 

II.   Rules  and  Regulations  in  Teaching 13 

III.  Principles  Employed  in  Teaching 25 

IV.  The  First  Lessons  with  a  New  Pupil 40 

V.   The  Teaching  of  Technic 53 

VL   The  Teaching  of  the  Rhythmic  Element 70 

VII.   The  Teaching  of  the  Melodic  and  Harmonic  Elements..  88 

VIII.   The  Teaching  of  Umri^  in  Interpretation 104 

IX.   The  Public  Performances  of  Pupils 121 

X.   Various  Types  of  Pupils 135 

XI.   The  Selection  of  Music 147 

List  of  Books 163 

Index 167 


PIANO  TEACHING 


CHAPTER  I 

The  Piano  Teacher's  Equipment 

You  have  decided  to  become  a  piano  teacher.  I  have  no 
wish  to  dissuade  you  from  this  intention,  for  the  profession  is 
an  honorable  and  a  useful  one,  and  there  is  plenty   ^     ._,     ^. 

'  .  .  Considerations 

of  room  in  it  for  the  exercise  of  real  ability;  but,    before  entering 

,      »  1      •    •         •      •  1  1        -j^   •      J-    •      j^i      j^     the  profession. 

before  your  decision  is  irrevocable,  it  is  tair  that 
an  outline,  at  least,  of  the  equipment  necessary  for  the  work 
should  be  placed  before  you.  Viewing  this  clearly,  you  will 
either  have  more  confidence  to  persist  in  your  intention,  or 
you  may  abandon  it  in  favor  of  some  vocation  more  suited  to 
your  talents. 

You  have,  I  trust,  a  high  ideal  of  the  sphere  of  music,  and 
a  desire  to  become  an  effective  missionary  in  its  behalf.  For 
a  time,  however,  this  excellent  aim  must  be  Necessity  for  the 
relegated  to  the  background,  while  you  consider  busfness"^yinci- 
the  more  prosaic  business  side  of  the  enterprise;  p'^^- 
for  your  success  or  failure  will  depend  largely  upon  how  you 
manage  the  manifold  details  which  you  will  find  encom- 
passing your  labors.  If  you  are  so  fortunate  as  to  obtain 
a  salaried  position  in  some  institution,  many  of  these  pitfalls 
will  be  eliminated;  but  if,  as  I  asvsume,  you  are  relying  wholly 
upon  your  own  efforts,  you  must  take  care  to  place  yourself 
in  close  alliance  with  recognized  business  principles. 

Such  principles  declare,  as  a  primary  dictum,  that  you 
should   start  out  with   sufficient  capital.      This   „  .       ,     ■ 

^  Nature  of  a  piano 

capital,   in   the   case   of    a    piano   teacher,    will   teacher's  capital, 
consist  of  both  brains  and  money;  for,  in  default   which  it  must  be 
of  either  one,  he  is  powerless.     Assuming  that   ^''^^'" 
you  have  the  former  in  abundance,  let  us  see  how  the  money 

1 


2  PIANO  TEACHING 

capital  is  to  be  invested.  Much  of  it  must  be  spent  upon  the 
cultivation  of  your  mind  and  fingers  —  in  the  acquirement  of 
a  knowledge  of  the  components  of  music  and  the  ability  to 
interpret  it.  Undoubtedly,  you  have  already  accomplished 
signal  results  along  these  lines,  or  you  would  not  think  of 
music  as  a  profession;  for  one  must  grow  up  from  childhood 
familiar  with  the  language  of  music  if  he  is  ever  to  express 
himself  readily  in  it.  Besides  mental  cultivation,  however, 
there  are  tools  demanded  for  your  workshop  which  must 
also  receive  careful  attention.  Let  us  elaborate  these  matters 
more  fully. 

You  will  be  quick  to  inquire  how  much  time  you  should 
spend  with  an  instructor  before  you  shall  have  gained  the 
Amount  of  piano  amouut  of  skiU  requisite  to  set  up  for  yourself 
study  required.  ^^  ^^  tcachcr.  This  qucstiou  is  a  difficult  one  to 
answer,  inasmuch  as  the  factors  of  individual  aptitude,  of 
diligence  in  practice,  and  of  the  deftness  of  the  instructor, 
must  have  so  decided  an  influence;  but  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
four  or  five  years  of  earnest  application  may  be  considered  a 
minimum  amount.  I  have  heard  of  an  enterprising  indi- 
vidual who  took  twenty  lessons  and  then  retailed  them  to 
pupils,  stopping  always  at  the  twentieth  for  want  of  further 
educational  pabulum;  but  we  may  trust  that  such  cases  are 
rare.  It  is  not  necessary,  however,  that  one  should  arrive  at 
the  stage  of  virtuosity  before  he  begins  to  impart  his  knowl- 
edge. It  will  suffice  if  he  has  studied  typical  examples  of 
the  work  of  the  great  pianoforte  masters,  and  if  he  have  in 
his  repertory  such  selections  as  a  Bach  prelude  and  fugue, 
sonatas  by  Haydn,  Mozart,  and  Beethoven,  a  Mendelssohn 
Song  Without  Words,  and  short  pieces  by  Schubert,  Chopin, 
Schumann,  and  the  best  of  the  present-day  composers.  A 
piano  teacher  who  cannot  play  is  like  a  carpenter  who  cannot 
saw  a  stick  of  wood.  So  he  should  always  have  something, 
however  unpretentious,  to  perform  for  friends,  or  even  in 
public;  for  while  the  latter  stage  of  accomplishment  is  not 
absolutely  necessary,  there  is  yet  no  more  decisive  proof  of  his 
competency  than  that  afforded  by  his  fearless  and  agreeable 


PIANO  TEACHING  3 

interpretation   of   music  in  the  presence  of  a  crowd  of  wit- 
nesses. 

Wiiile  a  finislied  and  artistic  style  should  be  your  main 
object,  it  is  none  the  less  important  that  you  should  become  a 
readj^  sight-reader.  Your  success  in  this  branch  opportunities  for 
will  depend  largely  upon  your  own  persistence  ness'in°fight-**'' 
in  making  and  seizing  upon  opportunities  for  reading, 
practice.  By  yourself,  you  can  map  out  a  course  of  system- 
atic work,  which  will  begin  with  the  reading  of  hymns,  and 
will  continue  with  that  of  collections  of  compositions  of  good 
musical  worth,  but  of  no  great  difficulty,  like  the  sonatinas  of 
Kuhlau,  Clementi,  and  Dussek,  and  the  easier  works  of  Haydn 
and  Mozart.  You  will  at  the  same  time  derive  great  benefit 
from  a  series  of  meetings  with  some  friend  who  has  aims  and 
attainments  similar  to  your  own,  during  which  meetings  regular 
amounts  of  four-hand  music  are  read,  such  as  the  four  books  of 
Haydn's  symphonies  {edition  Peters,  vols.  186  a-d),  and  IMo- 
zart's  compositions  {edition  Peters,  vol.  12).  Take  care,  however, 
to  change  frequently  from  the  treble  to  the  bass  part,  or  vice 
versa,  in  order  that  your  attainments  may  not  become  one- 
sided. With  your  violinist  friend,  you  may  also  read  works 
like  the  violin  and  piano  sonatas  of  Haydn,  Mozart,  and 
Beethoven,  in  which  the  piano  has  a  part  equal  in  importance 
to  that  of  the  other  instrument;  while  your  friends  who  are 
singers  will  gladly  afford  you  practice  in  the  playing  of  their 
accompaniments.  As  your  skill  increases,  you  will  find  no 
lack  of  opportunity  to  display  it  at  any  gathering  where 
music  is  a  feature;  and,  as  a  result,  you  will  discover  that  you 
are  gaining  in  sympathy  and  ease  as  an  interpreter,  as  well  as 
accomplishing  the  object  for  which  you  started. 

Having  secured  the  requisite  pianistic  training,  you  should 
yet  pause  a  little  to  answer  the  questions:  "Why  do  I  wish  to 
become  a  piano  teacher?     Is  it  because  it  is  an   „     .^, 

^     _  _  _      _  Possible  motives 

easy  occupation?     Is  it  because  it  is  profitable?"    in  becoming  a 
Neither  of  these  reasons  is  sufficient.      If  j^our 
teaching  is  not  intended  to  amount  to  anything  in  the  way  of 
definite  artistic  results,  you  had  better  let  it  alone.     There  are 


4  PIANO  TEACHING 

plenty  of  hard-working  teachers  in  the  field  already,  and  there  is 
no  room  in  it  for  the  elegant  trifler.  If  you  are  to  enter  it  at  all, 
it  should  be  through  the  gate  of  serious  aims  and  thoughtful, 
energetic  endeavor.  Again,  the  profession  is  not  what  might 
be  called  a  lucrative  one.  Teachers  of  any  branches  are 
badly  enough  paid,  and  the  music  teacher  often  fares  worse 
than  others.  It  is  only,  indeed,  by  dint  of  unflagging  industry 
and  perseverance  that  he  ever  attains  to  a  comfortable  or 
steady  income.  Let  me  emphasize  the  fact,  then,  that  you 
should  let  music  teaching  decidedly  alone,  unless  Music  itself 
compels  you  to  devote  yourself  to  it  by  means  of  its  irresist- 
ible attraction.  The  artist  spirit  should  be  in  you:  that  spirit 
which  is  so  animated  by  love  for  music  that  it  will  never  leave 
you  happy  in  any  other  occupation;  that  spirit  which  involves 
an  enthusiasm  that  will  ride  rough-shod  over  apparent  fail- 
ures, secure  in  its  devotion  to  its  object.  If  you  have  this 
spirit  you  need  hesitate  no  longer. 

If  you  have  crossed  the  Rubicon  to  a  musical  career,  you 
have  next  to  collect  your  materials  into  usable  form.  Of 
A  systematic  coursc  you  are  familiar  enough  with  the  com- 
m^u'sTcaUunda-  "^^n  dcviccs  of  musical  notation,  such  as  the 
mentals.  g^^ff  formation,  the  clef  and  bar  signs,  and  the 

values  of  notes  and  rests.  But  are  these  facts  arranged  in 
your  mind  in  an  orderly  manner,  or  are  they  in  a  state  of 
general  confusion?  For  we  must  have  no  uncertainties  in 
teaching:  everything  must  be  as  clear  as  day  to  the  teacher,  at 
least,  or  it  will  never  become  so  to  the  pupil.  Take  some  good 
music  primer,  preferably  Burrowes'  Piano  Primer  (Edited  by 
Billiard),  and  peruse  it  diligently  with  pencil  in  hand  and  a 
blank  book  by  your  side  in  which  to  write  down  the  topics  in 
order,  together  with  any  remarks  you  wish  to  make  about 
them.  Every  volume  which  you  want  to  make  your  own,  in 
fact,  should  be  treated  in  this  way,  with  the  result  that  you 
take  away  from  it  a  little  book  which  you  have  written  your- 
self, and  which  contains  the  meat  of  its  contents,  as  related  to 
your  needs.  You  may  not  desire  to  teach  the  items  in  the 
primer  as  there  treated,  but  you  will  have  systematized  your 


riANO   TEACHING  5 

ideas  on  the  subjoct,  and  you  now  know  just  where  to  look  for 
any  hiforination  which  it  contains.  Other  l^ranches  of  music 
of  which  you  should  in  a  similar  manner  gain  at  least  an  ele- 
mentary knowledge  are  the  Development  of  Notation,  the 
Science  of  Harmony,  and  the  Principles  of  Musical  Form. 
For  the  fxrst.  The  Story  of  Notation,  by  C.  F.  Alxly  Williams  is 
recommended;  for  the  second,  any  concise  text'book  of  har- 
mony, like  Stainer's  Harmony,  or  York's  Harmony  Simplified; 
and  for  the  third,  Goetschius'  Lessons  in  Music  Form. 

You  nuist  also  take  measures  to  secure  as  wide  an  acquaint- 
ance as  possible  with  piano  compositions.  A  first  necessity 
for  your  teaching  will  be  a  graded  list  of  pieces  How  to  compile 
and  studies  adapted  to  the  varying  demands  of  feaching  compo- 
pupils.  I  shall  begin  such  lists  for  you  in  ^itions. 
Chapter  XI;  but  the  pieces  which  you  intend  to  use  should  be 
much  more  than  mere  names  to  you.  You  should  study 
through  each  of  them  before  attempting  to  expound  it  to  a 
pupil,  and  should  be  conversant  with  its  difficulties  and  its 
capacities  for  illustrating  important  points.  Also,  the  initial 
lists  should  be  rapidly  augmented  by  a  perusal  of  all  kinds  of 
compositions,  both  classic  and  modern,  which  are  liable  to 
furnish  useful  material;  and  such  material,  when  found,  should 
be  classified  for  future  reference.  In  this  way,  also,  another 
practical  benefit  may  be  made  to  accrue  from  the  sight-reading 
course  outlined  above. 

In  order  to  acquire  the  proper  conception  of  how  each  com- 
poser's works  should  be  treated,  you  should  have  some  knowl- 
edge of  how  music  looked  to  him;   what  kind    „  ^    . 

_  _  How  to  obtain  a 

of  a  man  he  was,  what  were  his  surroundings,  proper  historical 
and  what  the  condition  of  music  was  in  his  day.  ^^"^^^^"^  '^^' 
You  should  realize  that  the  music  of  Bach's  time  was  not  only 
different  in  style,  but  was  played  with  an  entirely  different 
touch  and  range  of  tone  from  the  music  of  the  present;  and 
that  it  is  thus  a  gross  anachronism  to  play  Bach  in  the  style 
of  Chopin,  or  Beethoven  in  the  style  of  Debussy.  It  is  not 
enough,  either,  to  tell  a  pupil  that  Bach  or  Beethoven  lived 
some  time  in  the  long  ago;  but  you  should  make  these  men 


6  PIANO   TEACHING 

real  to  him  by  suggesting  that  Bach  was  a  contemporary  of 
Benjamin  Franklin,  and  that  Beethoven  was  a  small  boy 
during  our  Revolutionary  War.  Make  yourself  master,  there- 
fore, of  some  concise  history  of  music,  such  as  Hamilton's 
Outlines  of  Music  History,  and  afterward  fill  in  details  by  read- 
ing larger  works  on  both  musical  and  general  history. 

So  much  for  the  components  of  your  mental  outfit.  Some 
of  this,  like  the  musical  instruction  you  have  received,  has 
required  the  expenditure  of  money  capital;  some 
material  parts  of  of  it,  like  the  native  aptitude  for  the  profession, 
has  presupposed  a  capital  inherent  in  yourself, 
and  not  to  be  bought  upon  any  terms.  We  pass  now  to  the 
consideration  of  a  number  of  the  necessary  tools  which  must 
be  provided. 

Get,  to  begin  with,  the  very  best  piano  your  means  can 
afford.  Perhaps  you  already  have  this;  but  it  is  often  the 
Choice  and  care  casc  that  students  Start  out  to  teach  with  noth- 
of  a  piano.  jj-,g  ^q  inspire  them  but  a  worn-out  old  instru- 

ment which  they,  or  others  before  them,  have  reduced  to  a 
wreck  by  years  of  hard  usage.  Inventions  in  piano  manu- 
facture, too,  have  been  so  numerous  that  the  instrument  of 
to-day  is  quite  a  different  affair  from  that  of  thirty  or  forty 
years  ago,  with  longer  compass,  greater  tone-capacity,  and 
richer  quality.  So,  if  you  do  not  wish  to  teach  how  to  play 
merely  the  piano  of  a  bygone  age,  you  should  have  a  modern 
instrument,  preferably  in  the  "grand"  form.  Choose  one  of  a 
reliable  make,  with  a  firm,  responsive  action;  one,  moreover,  in 
which  the  bass  does  not  give  way  under  your  fingers,  and  of 
which  the  treble  is  pure  and  true,  but  not  harsh.  After  you 
have  purchased  such  an  one,  hire  a  competent  tuner  to  look 
after  it  at  intervals  of  not  less  than  three  months,  whether  it 
seems  to  need  it  or  not;  for  the  rapid  degeneration  which 
often  occurs  in  new  pianos  is  most  frequently  caused  by  failure 
to  keep  them  properly  cared  for  as  to  tuning  and  adjustment; 
while  a  still  more  fatal  consequence  of  this  neglect  rests  in  the 
danger  to  the  teacher's  own  nice  perception  of  musical  values 
and  pitch,  which  an  ill-adjusted  piano  is  liable  to  imperil.     If 


PIANO   TEACHING  7 

your  pockotbook  will  pcnnii,  you  will  find  it  of  advan- 
tage to  possess  a  second  piano,  to  be  used  for  illustrations 
and  secontl-piano  parts.  This  can  at  least  be  noted  as  a 
possibility. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  instrument  comes  the  teacher's 
hbrary  of  music  and  l)0()ks  about  music.  What  an  advantage 
the  musician  has  over  the  painter  in  respect  to    ^, 

The  nucleus  of  a 

these!  For  while  the  latter  must  sometimes  library  of  music 
travel  thousands  of  miles  in  order  to  study 
models  of  his  art  at  first  hand,  the  musician  can  purchase,  at 
trifling  expense,  the  masterpieces  of  the  great  composers  in 
excellent  editions,  and  can  interpret  them  at  his  leisure  with- 
out leaving  the  confines  of  his  own  home.  As  a  nucleus  for 
your  music  library  I  may  suggest  the  following:  —  Handel's 
Suites;  Bach's  Well  Tem-pered  Clavichord;  the  best  sonatas  of 
Haydn  and  Mozart;  the  complete  sonatas  of  Beethoven; 
Schubert's  Impromptus  and  Moments  Musicals;  jVIendelssohn's 
Songs  without  Words;  Op.  12, 15,  21,  23,  68  and  82  of  Schumann's 
works;  Chopin's  Waltzes,  Mazurkas,  Polonaises,  Nocturnes,  Pre- 
ludes, Ballades  and  Impromptus;  and  selections  from  the  piano 
works  of  Liszt,  Brahms,  Rubinstein,  Grieg,  Moszkowski,  Mac- 
dowell,  and  other  prominent  modern  composers.  All  these  should, 
if  possible,  be  bound,  arranged  in  alphabetical  order,  and  kept 
conveniently  at  hand.  Of  literature  about  music,  I  should 
put  of  first  importance  a  subscription  to  one  of  the  excellent 
monthly  magazines  devoted  to  the  interests  of  your  work. 
After  this,  beside  the  books  mentioned  above,  Elson's  Music 
Dictionary,  Baltzell's  Dictionary  of  Musicians,  and  Parrj-'s 
Evolution  of  the  Art  of  Music  will  make  a  good  beginning;  while 
the  five  volumes  of  Grove's  Dictionary  of  Music  and  Musicians, 
the  standard  work  on  the  subject,  should  be  added  as  soon 
as  funds  will  permit.  In  augmenting  your  library  you  will 
gradually  complete  your  lists  of  the  works  of  the  great 
masters,  and  will  add  to  your  books  a  volume  at  a  time,  as 
each  one  is  read.  Hamilton's  Outlines  of  Music  History,  Pratt's 
History  of  Music,  Dickinson's  Study  of  Music  History,  and 
Streatfeild's  Modern  Music  and  Musicians  will  widen  the  his- 


8  PIANO   TEACHING 

torical  horizon;  while  biographies  of  various  composers  will 
emphasize  certain  epochs.  From  these  will  proceed  books  upon 
special  branches,  like  Finck's  Songs  and  Song  Writers,  Apthorp's 
The  Opera,  Past  and  Present,  Goepp's  Symphonies  and  their 
Meaning,  Lavignac's  Music  Education  and  Music  and  Mu- 
sicians. For  general  culture  on  kindred  subjects,  you  should 
have  on  history,  Myers'  General  History;  on  art,  Reinach's 
Story  of  Art  through  the  Ages  and  Caffin's  How  to  Study  Pic- 
tures; on  psychology  and  pedagogy,  Fisher's  Psychology  for 
Music  Teachers,  James'  Talks  with  Teachers,  and  Morgan's 
Psychology  for  Teachers* 

The  question  of  where  you  are  to  teach  must  also  be  an- 
swered. Most  young  teachers  begin  by  giving  their  lessons 
„  ,   .      ^  at  the  houses  of  their  pupils;  and  there  are  some 

Relative  advan- 
tages of  various  advantages  in  this  plan,  since  it  involves  an 
g  p  aces.  ^J^Q^J^^  Qf  outdoor  exercise,  and  allows  the  in- 
structor to  ascertain  under  what  conditions  each  pupil  is 
working.  But  there  are  also  many  circumstances  which  are 
apt  to  induce  the  teacher  later  on  to  change  the  scene  of  his 
activity  to  his  own  house,  or  to  a  business  studio.  Concen- 
tration of  work  and  materials  is  thus  favored,  time  is  saved, 
music  is  handy  for  reference,  and  the  teacher  can  gauge  the 
pupil's  performance  more  accurately,  because  he  understands 
just  what  the  piano  is  capable  of.  But  if  you  do  not  wish  to 
go  out  to  teach,  be  careful  of  your  own  physical  exercise.  I 
have  known  teachers  who  taught  from  morning  till  night  in 
one  room,  stopping  only  for  a  hasty  lunch,  and  then  even  con- 
tinued the  process  into  the  evening,  thus  laying  all  their  plans 
for  an  early  digestive  collapse.  If  you  are  not  sure  of  getting 
regular  exercise,  it  is  well  to  give  a  few  of  your  lessons  at  your 
pupils'  houses,  and  thus  force  yourself  into  the  open  air  occa- 
sionally. Also,  if  you  teach  in  your  own  quarters,  take  care  to 
keep  informed  as  to  what  encouragement  your  pupil  receives 
at  home,  and  especially  as  to  what  sort  of  instrument  he  is 
practicing  upon.  A  pupil  once  asked  me  if  my  piano  was  not 
badly  out  of  tune  just  after  it  had  been  put  in  prime  con- 
*  See  book  list,  page  163. 


PIANO   TEACHING 


9 


dition.  On  investigation,  I  found  that  her  own  piano  had  not 
been  tuned  for  years,  and  that  her  ears  had  liecomc  so  edu- 
cated to  false  pitch  that  correct  pitcli  sounded  wrong  to  her. 
Insist,  therefore,  that  your  pupils  keep  their  pianos  in  proper 
condition. 

Your  music  room  will  of  course  receive  careful  attention. 
While  your  individual  taste  should  have  free  play  in  its  arrange- 
ment and  decoration,  there  are  a  few  principles  ^ 

'  .  *  *  The  location  and 

which  can  be  taken  as  guides.     The  room  should  outfit  of  the  music 
be  as  commodious  and  well  ventilated  as  possi- 
ble.    Your  piano  should  be  so  located  as  to  receive  proper 
light,  both  in  the  daytime  and  in  the  evening;  and  your  library 


The  Music  Room. 


and  desk  should  occupy  convenient  spaces.  As  to  other  furni- 
ture, let  it  not  be  too  numerous  or  too  comfortable;  for,  in  the 
one  case,  free  progress  about  the  room  will  be  made  difficult, 
and,  in  the  other,  the  atmosphere  of  alertness  which  should 
prevail  will  be  endangered.  Make  the  decorative  tone  quiet, 
and  one  which  will  not  distract  the  attention;  and  let  the  few 
pictures  be  chosen  with  reference  to  your  needs.     This  means 


10  PIANO   TEACHING 

that  you  should  have  one  or  two  portraits  of  your  favorite 
musicians,  and,  more  especially,  copies  of  masterpieces  which 
represent  distinctive  schools  of  art,  and  which  you  can  use  to 
illustrate  different  styles  of  music:  a  Raphael  for  the  classic 
style  (see  page  107) ,  a  Rembrandt  for  tonal  contrasts  (see  yage 
108),  a  Corot  for  modern  romanticism  (seepage  114).  Do  not 
forget,  either,  to  provide  a  small  blackboard,  which  will  fre- 
quently be  called  upon  to  illustrate  salient  points  of  the  lesson. 

As  the  absence  of  preparation  in  little  details  is  sure  to  bring 
constant  annoyances,  take  care  to  provide  a  plentiful  supply 
Supplies  of  small  of  such  Commodities  as  paper,  pencils,  pens  and 
^'■*''='^^-  ink.     Have  3'our  desk  supplied  with  neat  sta- 

tionery, and  with  l)ook-keeping  accoutrements.  Your  bill- 
heads, business  cards,  circulars  of  terms,  and  the  like  should 
have  each  its  separate  pocket;  and  your  correspondence  should 
be  filed  for  immediate  reference. 

There  is  only  one  thing  more  needed  to  complete  your  outfit, 
and  that  is  the  presence  of  a  group  of  expectant  pupils.  I 
have  seen  students  excellently  prepared  to  teach  who  got  little 
further  than  such  preparation;  while  others  who  were  not 
Tact  in  securing  by  any  means  so  well  equipped  became  imme- 
p^p'^^-  diately  surrounded  by  an  interested  clientele,  that 

seemed  to  spring  up  like  mushrooms.  Your  success  in  obtain- 
ing pupils  must  depend  so  largely  upon  your  own  tact  and 
address  that  I  shall  venture  only  a  few  suggestions  as  to  how 
these  may  be  employed  most  efficaciously. 

You  will  have  to  depend  primarily  upon  your  friends  to  give 
you  your  start.  It  follows  that  your  beginning  will  be  best 
„  .^   ,.       ,       made  in  a  place  where  your  abilities  are  well 

Notification   of  i  ./ 

friends  and  ac-       kuown.     But   you   must   uot   cxpect   cveu   here 

quaintances.  ii      i  i  -ii  i  ^    •  A' 

that  people  will  seek  you  out  in  a  corner,  lou 
should  make  it  known  as  widely  as  possible  that  you  want  to 
teach,  and  that  you  are  competent  to  do  so.  Tell  your  friends, 
therefore,  and  interest  them  in  your  project;  and  reach  as  exten- 
sive a  circle  of  acquaintances  as  possible  by  sending  out  cards 
with  an  inscription  upon  them,  brief  and  to  the  point,  reading 
somewhat  as  follows: 


PIANO   TEACHING  H 


HENRY   M.   ALTON, 

TEACHER    OF    PIANOFORTE    PLAYING 


Hours  for  consultation,  Tuesdays  and  Fridays 
from  two  to  five  o'clock  P.M. 


45  Pearl  Street 
Telephone:  417-3 


The  most  favorable  season  for  circulating  such  cards  is  in 
the  early  fall,  when  parents  are  deciding  upon  instructors  for 
their  children;  and  a  similar  card  may  be  inserted  in  the 
newspapers  at  the  same  time.  As  to  further  solicitation,  you 
can  best  judge  for  yourself.  I  once  had  a  pupil  who  secured 
a  flourishing  class  by  paying  personal  visits  to  Methods  of  soiic- 
all  acquaintances  who  had  eligible  children  and  '''°^  pupils, 
asking  for  their  patronage.  This  device,  which  was  carried 
out  in  a  small  town,  would  perhaps  not  have  succeeded  so  well 
in  a  larger  place,  or  in  the  hands  of  a  less  tactful  advocate, 
for  the  teacher  who  adopts  such  a  method  runs  great  danger 
of  being  placed  in  the  same  category  as  the  book-agent,  and 
treated  accordingly.  In  any  kind  of  advertising  of  which  you 
make  use,  however,  take  care  never  to  give  the  appearance  of 
attempting  to  draw  pupils  away  from  other  teachers.  The 
rules  of  professional  courtesy  and  of  expediency  alike  forbid 
this. 

Your  best  ally  will,  however,  be  your  own  playing.  Let 
people  see  that  you  understand  what  you  are  about,  let  them 
actually  hear  you  perform  with  credit,  and  you  opportunities 
will  have  gained  much  headway  in  their  esteem.  teac™er's°musicai 
And  while  your  solo  playing  will  be  of  great  ability  known, 
benefit  to  you,  you  can  make  yourself  even  more  useful  by  a 
readiness  in  playing  accompaniments.  If  you  can  add  organ 
work  to  your  accomplishments,  and  are  thus  able  to  display 
your  prowess  regularly  in  the  church  services,  you  will  have 


12  PIANO   TEACHING 

obtained  another  lever  of  advantage.  Above  all,  make  your- 
self alert,  cheerful,  and  accommodating  whenever  any  musical 
work  is  required  of  you  which  you  can  do  without  loss  of 
dignity,  and  people  will  come  to  appreciate  your  ability,  and 
talk  of  you  as  a  musician  of  promise. 

And  once  having  secured  a  few  pupils  for  your  own,  you 
have  the  possibility  of  making  use  of  the  very  best  form  of 
Influence  of  advertisement,  namely,  that  which  consists  in  the 

pupUs'  playing.  playing  of  your  pupils.  If  they  are  awakened  to 
interest  by  you,  and  if  they  show  the  value  of  your  instruc- 
tions by  making  progress,  others  will  surely  flock  to  your  stand- 
ard. We  shall  consider  later  on  (Chap.  IX.)  how  the  work 
of  your  pupils  can  be  exhibited  to  the  best  advantage.  Only 
train  them  to  play  the  best  music  in  an  interesting  and  intelli- 
gent manner,  and  their  performances  cannot  fail  to  redound 
continually  to  your  credit. 

To  summarize:  your  equipment  will  consist,  on  the  mental 
side,  of  technical  skill,  enthusiasm,  systematized  knowledge  of 
musical  fundamentals,  and  a  wide  acquaintance 
with  pianoforte  compositions,  together  with  the 
circumstances  under  which  they  were  written;  and  on  the 
material  side,  of  a  good  piano,  the  nucleus  of  a  library,  a  music 
room,  and  the  smaller  tools  of  your  trade.  Given  these  essen- 
tials, you  have  only  to  find  the  pupils  in  order  to  become 
fully  launched  in  your  profession.  Remember  that  the  be- 
ginning of  teaching  should  itself  be  only  a  phase  of  study. 
See  that  your  own  advancement  continues,  therefore,  under 
the  guidance  of  a  skilful  teacher,  if  possible.  Enlarge  your 
acquaintance  with  music  and  literature  about  music.  Fra- 
ternize with  others  whose  work  is  similar  to  your  own,  and 
interchange  with  them  the  benefits  of  mutual  experiences. 
Have  your  mind  open  to  new  ideas,  and  your  intelligence 
discriminating  as  to  which  of  them  to  accept.  In  such  ways 
you  will  come  to  appreciate  the  limitless  possibilities  which 
are  open  to  the  exponents  of  music,  and  yet  you  will  constantly 
gain  confidence  in  your  own  abilities  as  your  grasp  upon  the 
subject  becomes  firmer. 


CHAPTER  II 

Rules  and  Regulations  in  Teaching 

From  the  time  that  your  first  pupil  appears,  you  will  be 
confronted  with  a  series  of  problems  which  concern  your  l)usi- 
ness  relations  with  him.     Some  of  these  must  be   _   ., 

Problems  con- 

decided  upon  as  they  arise;  but  for  the  majority  nected  with busi- 
you  can  either  be  ready  with  a  solution  in 
advance  or  can  provide  in  accordance  with  certain  recognized 
principles.  There  are  problems  which  have  to  do  with  the 
contract  between  yourself  and  your  patrons;  those  which  con- 
cern the  conduct  of  lessons;  and  those  which  inquire  how  to 
induce  the  pupil  to  carry  out  the  instructions  which  you  have 
given  him.  If  you  can  formulate  a  few  simple  and  definite 
rules  upon  which  to  base  your  course  of  action  when  such 
questions  arise,  you  will  render  your  own  path  smoother  and 
will  also  give  your  patrons  a  wholesome  respect  for  your 
straightforward  dealings.  Such  rules,  moreover,  will  act  as  a 
safeguard  to  shield  you  from  the  temptation,  sometimes  strong, 
to  advance  the  interests  of  the  more  brilliant  pupils  at  the 
expense  of  the  dullards. 

A  first  step  is  to  have  a  circular  printed  which  you  will 
present  to  each  patron,  and  which  states  briefly  your  prices 
for  lessons,  their  length,  and  your  mode  of  pro^  Business  circu- 
cedure  in  regard  to  lessons  omitted.  These  **"* 
items  will  then  be  regarded  in  the  nature  of  a  contract  between 
both  parties,  and  can  be  referred  to  in  case  of  any  dispute. 
Leave  out  any  matters  of  a  more  personal  nature,  such  as  how 
much  practice  you  require,  or  how  music  is  to  be  furnished. 
I  have  seen  such  circulars  loaded  down  with  elaborate  rules, 
which  provided  for  every  detail  from  the  height  of  the  piano 
stool  to  the  poetry  of  interpretation,  and  every  one  of  which, 
I  venture  to  say,  was  broken  more  times  than  it  was  kept. 

13 


14  PIANO  TEACHING 

You  will  find  a  certain  range  of  prices  prevalent  in  your 
community,  extending  anywhere  up  to  five  dollars  a  lesson. 
How  to  fix  the  The  latter  limit  is  rarely  surpassed  except  in 
price  for  lessons,  ^^le  case  of  the  mcteoric  flight  of  some  virtuoso 
who  knows  how  to  turn  the  admiration  he  has  inspired  into 
dollars  and  cents,  and  whose  prowess  as  a  pianist  is  frequently 
far  in  advance  of  his  ability  to  impart  it.  The  lowest  prices 
in  the  scale,  on  the  other  hand,  are  less  than  those  paid  a  good 
laundress  for  a  corresponding  period  of  labor.  Whether  right 
or  wrong,  it  is  a  fact  that  the  average  individual  judges  a 
teacher's  ability  by  the  fees  he  receives,  estimating,  for  in- 
stance, that  a  two-dollar  teacher  must  be  twice  as  good  as  one 
who  charges  only  a  dollar  a  lesson.  Begin,  therefore,  by  put- 
ting your  instruction  at  a  price  which,  though  moderate,  yet 
assures  for  you  a  dignified  plane  in  the  profession.  It  is  better 
to  do  this,  even  if  you  have  to  gain  your  first  experience  by 
teaching  a  few  pupils  free  of  charge;  only  be  sure  to  abolish 
the  free  list  as  soon  as  circumstances  justify  you  in  doing  so, 
since  your  instructions  will  never  be  properly  valued  if  their 
recipient  does  not  make  some  sacrifice  in  return  for  them. 

You  must  also  decide  on  the  length  of  lessons.  With  small 
children,  a  half-hour  is  quite  long  enough;  and  for  the  first 
year,  at  least,  it  is  desirable  that  a  pupil  should 
frequency  of  les-  liavc  two  or  more  such  Icssous  cach  week.  One 
^°°^'  of  the  diflSculties  which  the  piano  teacher  has  to 

encounter  lies  in  the  small  amount  of  supervision  of  the  pupil's 
work  to  which  he  is  perforce,  confined.  In  the  course  of  the 
entire  week  which  the  majority  of  children  spend  away  from 
the  teacher  there  are  such  infinite  possibilities  for  departing 
from  the  straight  and  narrow  path  that  it  is  small  wonder  that 
so  many  wander  hopelessly  astray  and  that  the  teacher  must, 
in  consequence,  spend  much  of  his  time  in  simply  bringing 
them  back  to  the  starting-point,  and  turning  them  in  the  right 
direction.  Where  the  single  weekly  lesson  is  given  and  the 
pupil  is  able  to  stand  the  strain,  the  three-quarter  hour  limit 
is  generally  sufficient  to  cover  a  reasanable  amount  of  ground; 
and,  indeed,  it  may  be  more  effective,  by  reason  of  its  necessary 


PIANO   TEACHING  15 

concentration,  than  the  more   liberal   hour   limit,  formerly  in 
common  use. 

The  third  item  on  j'our  circulars  relates  to  omitted  lessons. 
What  teacher  does  not  know  the  exasperation  of  waiting 
anxiously  for  a  pupil's  appearance,  while  the  How  to  treat  the 
latter  is  blissfully  gazing  at  a  Imll  game,  or  is   omission  of  les- 

•     •  1     c   •         lo       IT  sons. 

entertammg  an  unexpected  friend.^  You  must 
have  a  rule  for  such  cases,  and  a  rule,  moreover,  which  can 
actually  be  enforced.  It  is  not  sufficient  to  say  that  all  lost 
lessons  must  be  paid  for,  as  of  course  they  should  be  when- 
ever the  pupil  is  at  fault,  because  you  will  have  to  make  so 
many  exceptions  that  your  rule  will  become  practically  mean- 
ingless; nor  is  it  sufficient  to  say  in  general  terms  that  you 
expect  a  pupil  to  notify  you  beforehand  of  the  omission  of  a 
lesson  or  else  to  pay  for  it,  because  general  terms  are  alto- 
gether too  indefinite.  I  have  found  it  most  efficacious  to 
establish  the  law  that  no  allowance  will  be  made  for  a  lost 
lesson  except  where  notification,  accompanied  by  a  reasonable 
excuse,  has  reached  me  at  least  twenty-four  hours  before  the 
time  appointed  for  the  lesson.  Patrons  who  have  any  sense  of 
fairness  cannot  but  see  the  justice  of  these  provisions,  and  there 
is  no  reason  why  they  should  ever  be  over-ruled,  except, 
perhaps,  in  the  case  of  a  railroad  collapse  or  an  impassable 
blizzard.     Here  is  a  circular  based  on  these  terms:  — 


Miss  Grant's  terms  for  instruction  are  twenty  dollars  for 
ten  lessons.     Lessons  are  forty-Jive  minutes  in  length. 

No  allowance  is  made  for  lesso?is  omitted,  unless  a  valid 
excuse  is  presented  for  such  omission,  and  notice  has  been 
received  at  least  tweyity-four  hours  in  advance. 


How  your  pupils  are  to  be  supplied  with  the  requisite 
music  is  a  question  of  moment.  If  a  well-stocked  music 
store  is  accessible  and  you  can  rely  on  the  pupil  to  go  to  it, 
you   may   perhaps   delegate   the   responsibility  to  him.     But 


16  PIANO   TEACHING 

many  times,  even  where  such  Utopian  conditions  exist,  the 
pupil  comes  for  his  next  lesson  with  a  tale  of  woe  as  to  his  loss 
How  to  furnish  of  the  slip  you  gave  him,  or  the  deficiency  of  the 
skrand'w'h^To  •'^torc  in  respect  to  the  particular  piece  you  or- 
charge  them  for  it.  Jered.  There  is  a  happy  remedy  for  these  troubles 
in  the  facility  with  which  the  teacher  may  keep  music  ready 
at  hand  for  his  pupils'  use,  and  with  which  he  may  conse- 
quently place  it  before  them  exactly  at  the  crucial  moment. 
Publishers  now  lighten  the  teachers'  toils  immeasurably  by 
furnishing  them,  on  liberal  terms,  stock  orders  of  music,  and 
also  selections  of  new  compositions,  carefully  adjusted  to  their 
needs.  You  should  expect  your  pupils  to  pay  you  the  same 
price  for  music  furnished  by  you  which  they  must  pay  at  the 
regular  music  stores.  If  any  of  them  insist  upon  unusual  dis- 
counts, let  them  purchase  their  own  supplies. 

If  you  thus  assume  some  of  the  functions  of  a  music  store, 
you  will,  of  course,  add  considerably  to  the  number  of  details 
How  to  keep  in  your  work,  and  will  emphasize  the  necessity 
accounts.  f^j.  ^^^  accurate  system  of  keeping  your  accounts. 

This  must  begin  by  the  cultivation  of  the  habit  of  jotting 
down  immediately,  in  black  and  white,  anything  that  you 
wish  to  remember.  Have  a  daybook  within  reach,  and  in 
this  make  a  note  of  each  lesson,  together  with  items  as  to  the 
pupil's  progress,  material  to  be  provided  for  him,  or  music  to 
be  charged  to  his  account.  Failure  to  record  the  last  named, 
especially,  means  that  you  will  often  neglect  it  altogether,  and 
that  you  will  be  considerably  out  of  pocket  at  the  end  of  the 
season  as  a  result.  For  a  permanent  register  of  these  items 
the  card  system  will  be  found  invaluable.  Two  sets  of  cards 
should  be  kept  for  each  pupil:  one  for  memoranda  as  to  his 
attainments  and  progress,  and  the  other  for  the  enrolment  of 
lessons  given  and  music  charged  to  his  account.  At  stated 
periods,  say  once  a  week,  the  data  should  be  transferred  from 
your  daybook  to  these  cards,  which  are  kept  easily  accessible 
in  alphabetical  order;  and  at  the  same  time  your  business 
expenditures  and  receipts  should  be  entered  in  a  ledger,  your 
accounts  balanced,  and   your  bills  sent  out.     Such  business 


PIANO  TEACHING  17 

methods   should   extend   to   your   correspondence   also,    which 
should  receive  regular  and  prompt  attention. 

There  will  probably  be  some  variety  in  the  manner  in  which 
the  pupils  make  their  payments  for  lessons.  Some  prefer  to 
ease  their  consciences  by  squaring  accounts  at  -^^^  jjj,,^  should 
each  lesson;  and,   indeed,   the  supply  of  ready   be  rendered  and 

(•fill  lie  payments  made. 

cash  thus  artorded  the  t(>acher  and  the  fact  that 
a  bird  in  the  hand  is  worth  seizing  make  this  method  not 
wholl}^  undesirable,  although  it  involves  a  disadvantage  in 
that  pupils  are  not  apt  to  feel  bound  to  pursue  a  course  of 
study  to  its  legitimate  end  if  every  obligation  is  released  at 
the  close  of  each  lesson.  An  ideal  system  prevails  when  the 
pupil  pays  the  whole  or  a  large  part  of  his  season's  tuition  in 
advance.  This  custom  is  followed  out  at  educational  insti- 
tutions, such  as  schools  and  colleges,  and  even  in  the  case  of 
dancing  schools.  Why  should  not  teachers  of  music  league 
together  in  enforcing  so  desirable  and  reasonable  a  system, 
and  thus  make  sure  of  better  work  on  the  part  both  of  them- 
selves and  of  their  pupils,  wdth  a  definite  course  of  effort  laid 
open  before  them?  Until  such  concerted  action  is  taken, 
however,  the  prevalent  custom  will  probably  continue,  which 
consists  in  rendering  a  bill  to  the  pupil  at  the  end  of  a  term, 
embracing  a  convenient  number  of  lessons,  generally  ten.  I 
am  glad  to  record  that,  so  far  as  I  have  observed,  such  bills 
are  seldom  disputed  or  left  long  unpaid.  You  are  justified,  of 
course,  in  sending  a  second  bill  if  the  first  is  long  unheard 
from;  and  in  extreme  cases  of  neglect,  you  should  not  hesitate 
to  hire  a  reliable  collector  to  strengthen  your  previous  hints. 
Your  billheads  may  be  worded  as  follows: 

Ipswich, 

M 

To  HENRY   M.   ALTON,  Dr. 

To  Pianoforte  Instruction,  from to i 

To  Music 

Received  Payment, 


18  PIANO   TEACHING 

As  the  numl)or  of  your  pupils  increases,  you  will  have  to 
consider  how  to  divide  up  your  time  so  as  best  to  accommodate 
„  both  them  and  yourself.     It  is  quite  possible  to 

How  to  arrange 

your  lessons  to      scatter  eveu  a  few  lessons  through  the  week  in 

best  advantage.  ,  .       ,  •  ex 

such  a  manner  as  to  leave  no  mornmg  or  aiter- 
noon  free  from  them.  You  should  avoid  this  condition  by 
setting  apart  one  day  of  the  week,  at  least,  in  which  j^ou  can 
be  your  own  master.  Outside  of  this,  reserve  certain  hours 
for  teaching,  and  do  not  lightly  transgress  them.  Arrange 
your  pupils,  moreover,  in  groups,  so  that  the  least  possible 
time  may  be  lost  between  lessons.  If  you  go  out  to  teach,  you 
can  easily  group  together  those  in  the  same  locality;  and  if 
they  come  to  you,  a  little  careful  management  will  generally 
fit  them  into  your  available  hours.  As  many  lessons  as  pos- 
sible should  be  placed  in  the  morning,  when  minds  are  more 
alert.  Unfortunately,  in  the  case  of  school  children,  the  les- 
son has  frequently  to  be  given  in  that  part  of  the  day  in  which 
they  are  least  fitted  to  respond  to  it.  By  utilizing  Saturdays, 
how^ever,  and  even  the  hour  before  school,  this  adverse  con- 
dition may  sometimes  be  averted;  and,  at  all  events,  you 
should  refrain  from  teaching  in  the  evening,  when  yawns  and 
inattention  are  the  invariable  accompaniments  to  your  wise 
sayings.  As  soon  as  your  popularity  threatens  to  burst 
through  the  bounds  of  your  prescribed  teaching  periods,  raise 
your  prices  to  all  new  pupils,  letting  the  former  ones  continue, 
for  a  time,  at  the  old  rates.  Your  old  pupils  will  then  con- 
gratulate themselves  upon  the  preference  accorded  them, 
while  new  pupils  will  look  upon  you  with  added  respect,  and 
all  will  work  the  harder,  in  order  that  their  labors  may  be 
in  proportion  to  the  augmented  par  value  of  their  instruction. 
Thus  does  success  beget  success. 

Let  us  pass  now  to  the  actual  conduct  of  the  lesson,  of  which 
you  should  have  at  least  an  approximate  plan  in  mind.  Your 
Conduct  of  the  ^^^^  ^^^  should  be  to  providc  the  pupil  with  a 
lesson.    Memo-    memorandum  book  of  manuscript  music,  and  to 

randum  books.  .  ...  i    r-  r    i  i 

nnpress  upon  hun,  m  your  most  lorceiul  language, 
that  he  is  to  produce  it  at  each  lesson,  whether  anything  new 


PIANO   TEACHING  19 

has  been  written  in  it  or  not.  Begin  each  lesson  by  putting 
its  date  at  the  top  of  a  new  space  in  this  book,  and  under  this 
write  subseciuontly  whatever  you  wish  him  especially  to 
remember:  any  rules,  precepts,  or  facts;  any  finger  exercises 
for  him  to  work  out;  the  extent  of  passages  to  be  learned;  and 
how  he  is  to  ])ractice  these.  He  will  not,  it  is  true,  always 
follow  out  all  the  directions  given;  but  you  can  be  tolerably 
certain  that  he  will  remember  little  that  is  not  written  down 
for  him.  Such  a  book,  too,  is  necessary  not  only  for  begin- 
ners, but  even  for  the  most  advanced  and  brilliant  pupils, 
since  they  too  are  quite  capable  of  overlooking  anything  which 
is  not  set  before  them  in  black  and  white.  The  limitless  ca- 
pacity of  pupils  to  forget  what  has  been  told  them  is  nowhere 
more  evident  than  in  the  work  of  the  piano  teacher.  Remem- 
ber this  fact  when  you  are  tempted  to  pour  vast  unrecorded 
stores  of  information  upon  their  unyielding  brains. 

In  any  occupation  which  involves  manual  labor  the  first 
care  of  the  workman  is  to  see  that  his  tools  are  in  order.  The 
pianist's  tools  are  his  fingers;  and  unless  these  First  item:  finger 
are  prepared  to  do  the  work  required,  he  is  *^*='»°"^- 
unable  to  carry  out  his  ideas,  however  valuable  they  may  be. 
Thus,  in  any  arrangement  of  lesson  topics  you  are  bound  to 
place  first  on  the  list  "  attention  to  finger  technic."  In  the  few 
minutes  alotted  to  this  you  may  not  only  see  that  the  fingers 
are  in  condition  to  perform  the  work  before  them,  but  you 
may  also  suggest  exercises  the  practice  of  which  will  prepare 
them  to  accomplish  higher  grades  of  work  in  the  future. 

After  this  process,  the  order  of  procedure  may  be  variable; 
in  fact,  you  should  avoid  the  humdrum  effect  of  an  unchange- 
able routine.  The  most  logical  plan  is  to  dis-  other  topics  in 
cuss  next  some  study  or  piece  which  especially  ^^^  'e.son. 
involves  the  technical  points  upon  which  you  have  just  been 
at  work.  The  result  of  the  pupil's  practice  upon  such  ma- 
terial, assigned  at  the  lesson  previous,  is  criticized,  and  a  new 
passage  is  given  him  to  learn.  In  like  maimer,  music  which 
includes  fewer  technical  considerations  and  more  interpreta- 
tive thought  may  then  be  taken  up.     This  lesson  division 


20  PIANO   TEACHING 

will  also  consider  the  "finishing"  process,  applied  to  review 
work.  Thus  planned,  therefore,  the  lesson  period  has  afforded 
opportunities  for  a  general  outlook  upon  the  work  of  the  pupil, 
proceeding  from  mere  finger  gymnastics  up  to  the  develop- 
ment of  real  musical  thought.  If  any  time  still  remains,  it 
may  be  spent  in  the  sight-reading  of  solos  and  duets. 

Having  made  your  criticisms  and  suggestions  as  clear  to 
him  as  you  are  able,  you  send  him  forth  into  the  w^orld  to  act 
^.^    ,  •      ..•  ..    upon  them.     Now,  alas!  he  has  to  pursue  a  path 

DifBculties  which        ^  _  _  ^  ^ 

surround  the  pu-  besct  with  temptatious,  with  only  the  remem- 
pi  s  prac  ice.  France  of  your  injunctions  and  his  own  will  to 
withstand  them.  Social  engagements  lure  him  to  their  snares; 
school-teachers  clamor  for  his  entire  attention;  automobiles,  golf 
links,  skating  ponds  call  to  him  with  siren  voices.  How  neces- 
sary it  is,  therefore,  that  you  arm  him  with  all  the  panoply  of 
precept  and  plan  at  your  command!  Let  us  see  what  forces 
are  at  your  disposal  for  this  conflict. 

First,  then,  the  pupil  must  be  made  to  feel  that  he  is  under 
bonds  to  perform  a  stated  amount  of  work  each  day  at  the 
„  piano;  that  he  is  accountable  to  you  for  such 

How  to  secure         i-  ' 

regular  amounts     work,  and  that  it  is  quite  as  important  as  labor 
prac  ice.  which  he  is  hired  and  paid  to  accomplish.     You 

should  ascertain  how  much  practice  he  can  reasonably  per- 
form daily,  without  overtaxing  his  strength  or  encroaching 
upon  time  properly  devoted  to  other  matters.  It  is  much 
more  advantageous  for  him  to  fix  upon  an  amount  of  practice 
that  is  entirely  feasible,  even  if  it  be  small,  than  to  start  out 
with  a  determination  to  practice  a  tremendous  amount,  and  to 
be  obliged  soon  to  see  this  resolution  completely  shattered. 
Then,  also,  two  or  three  short  periods  daily  of  concentrated 
work  are  far  preferable  to  long,  irksome  hours  of  perfunctory 
labor.  Induce  the  pupil,  if  possible,  to  set  aside  certain 
definite  times  for  his  practice,  times  which  must  be  held 
inviolate  for  the  purpose.  Finally,  furnish  him  with  a  practice 
slip,  on  which  the  result  of  each  day's  work  is  to  be  recorded 
in  hours  and  minutes.  Paste  this  into  his  memorandum 
book,   where   it  can   be    examined    at    each    lesson.     Here    is 


PIANO   TEACHING 


21 


the  plan  for  such  a  sHp,  sufficient  to  last  through  a  term  of 
ten  weeks: 


Lesson 
Practice  record  of_ 

s  WITH  Miss  Grant 

Term  bee-innino- 

*^              *^ 

1 

Week 
beginning 

Mon- 
day 

Tuesday 

Wednes- 
day 

Thursday 

Friday 

Saturday 

Total 

1 

But  your  guiding  hand  must  be  felt  still  further.  It  is  a 
lamentable  fact  that  pupils  spend  many  hours  of  worse  than 
waste  time  at  the  piano,  during  which  their 
musical  attainments  are  proceeding  rapidly  in  a  i^stemlnpractice. 
retrograde  direction.  Familiar  examples  of  such 
lax  methods  are  found  in  the  habits  of  '' running  through" 
the  music  assigned  or  more  fascinating  music  of  the  rag-time 
variety,  wath  an  airy  disregard  of  all  details  except  those 
relating  to  the  tune;  of  playing  technical  exercises  while 
gazing  out  of  the  window  or  watching  the  clock;  and  of 
rushing  over  the  notes  of  a  piece  in  a  constantly  accelerating 
tempo,  until  a  catastrophe  brings  a  halt.  While  such  per- 
formances as  these  may  indicate  lack  of  musical  intelligence, 
on  the  part  of  the  pupil,  they  oftener  show  lack  of  defi- 
niteness  and  foresight  on  the  part  of  the  teacher;  for,  un- 
less the  pupil  is  told  how  to  practice,  he  cannot  be  blamed 
if  he  invents  his  own  methods.  You  must  therefore  have  a 
scheme  of  practice  adapted  to  each  item  of  the  lesson,  which 
you  may  present  to  him.  If  this  is  workable,  and  if  he  can 
be  taught  to  fix  his  attention  upon  it,  its  use  will  incite  him 


00 


PIANO   TEACHING 


to  cultivate  orderly  and  correct  habits.  Once  settled,  such 
habits  will  take  care  of  themselves,  for  they  will  become  modes 
of  his  thought,  and  it  will  not  appear  natural  to  him  to  pro- 
ceed in  any  other  way. 

Let  him  begin  by  numbering  the  tasks  you  have  set  him 
1,  2,  3,  and  so  on.  Tell  him  how  much  time  to  spend  on  each 
Schemes  for  or-  of  these,  and  let  him  practice  them  on  the  first 
deriy  practice.  ^^y  j^^  ^^le  Order  given;  on  the  next  day  in  the 
order  2,  3,  1;  on  the  third  in  the  order  3,  1,  2;  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  in  the  first  order  again.  You  may  with  a  little 
thought  contrive  various  schemes  to  regulate  the  manner  of 
his  practice.  One  such,  which  I  have  found  especially  bene- 
ficial, is  as  follows.  During  the  first  week,  the  new  part  of  a 
study  or  piece  is  played  simply  with  the  hands  separately,  while 
the  attention  is  directed  upon  an  analysis  of  the  execution  of 
each  note  as  to  its  time,  position,  fingering,  and  touch.  The 
constructive  process  then  begins  by  practicing  each  measure, 
hands  separately  and  hands  together,  first  by  itself,  and  then  in 
combination  with  the  measure  before  it,  always  ending  on  the 
first  beat  of  the  measure  following,  as  a  connecting  link.  The 
next  step  is  to  practice  similarly  each  group  of  two  measures, 
finally  combining  these  with  the  two  previous  ones.  After 
this,  the  length  of  passages  may  be  still  further  increased  as 
proficiency  is  gained,  until  the  entire  section  is  performed  as 
a  unit.     Here  is  the  plan  of  this  work: 


{The  numbers  refer  to  measures.) 


First  time: 


1  1          2          11 

2 

Second  time: 

1  1    1   2          3 

1   4 

H 


H 


4  I  5    etc- 


3  I  4 


(5 


3  I  4  I  5  I  <J     etc. 


Third  and  following  times: 

LONGER  PASSAGES,  GROUPED  ON  THE  SAME  PRINCIPLE. 


While  this  plan  suffices  for  the  study  of  new  music,  no  less 
definite  directions  should  be  given  for  the  practice  of  music 


PIANO   TEACHING  23 

upon  wliich  more  advanced  work  is  expected.  Thus,  the 
pupil  should  know  just  what  he  is  to  practice,  in  what  order 
and  at  what  time  he  is  to  practice  it,  and  what  system  his 
work  is  to  be  based  upon. 

How  to  make  better  sight-readers  of  our  pupils  is  a  ques- 
tion frequently  raised.  I  answer,  primarily,  by  cultivating 
just  such  accurate  habits  of  musical  thought  as   „ 

.  ,.  How  far  sight- 

I  have  described.     Without  these  a  pupil  may,    reading  should 

1        1  ■        .      ...^       .         ...  111  claim  attention. 

mdeed,  acquire  lacility  m  riding  roughshod  over 
all  sorts  of  obstacles,  and  of  getting  somehow  through  difficult 
passages,  with  an  airy  disregard  of  all  the  finer  details.  But 
is  not  this  kind  of  performance  exactly  subversive  of  the  only 
habits  which  will  make  it  |>ossible  for  the  student  to  become 
an  artist?  If  you  do  not  wish  to  destroy  the  very  meat  of 
your  teaching,  therefore,  you  will  be  wise  to  discourage  much 
rapid  reading,  except  when  it  is  done  under  your  supervi- 
sion, at  least  until  the  pupil  is  so  fixed  in  right  habits 
that  the  danger  is  minimized.  After  this  stage  is  attained, 
if  it  ever  is,  a  small  portion  of  his  time  may  be  devoted  to 
the  reading  of  collections  of  music  assigned  by  you,  while 
at  the  same  time  you  watch  zealously  for  any  signs  of  con- 
sequent demoralization. 

We  have  then  decided,  first,  that  your  business  dealings 
require  you  to  have  a  concisely  worded  circular,  which  states 
your  prices,  length  of  lessons,  and  rules  regarding 
omitted  lessons,  and  that  this  circular  is  to  con- 
stitute a  virtual  contract  between  your  patrons  and  yourself; 
second,  that  the  details  of  your  work,  as  to  music  and  lesson- 
accounts,  rendering  of  bills,  and  division  of  your  time  must 
be  reduced  to  a  system;  third,  that  a  means  for  impressing 
your  instructions  upon  your  pupils  and  a  logical  plan  for  con- 
ducting each  lesson  must  be  provided;  and  finally,  that  the 
details  of  the  pupils'  practice  must  be  systematized  so  minutely 
that  they  may  cultivate  those  habits  which  are  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  production  of  artistic  playing.  The  intro- 
duction of  sight-reading  will  depend  upon  the  extent  of  the 
formation  of  such  desirable  qualities.     While  our  discussion  has 


24  PIANO   TEACHING 

thus  dwelt  upon  the  most  obvious  of  the  business  problems 
which  will  arise  between  you  and  your  patrons,  many  others, 
some  of  which  may  prove  vastly  annoying,  will  doubtless  test 
your  tact  and  patience.  If,  however,  you  meet  these  with  the 
evident  desire  to  consider  only  the  best  interests  of  those 
whom  you  are  serving  and  to  treat  all  with  impartial  favor, 
you  need  have  little  fear  that  any  apparent  antagonism  will 
prove  permanent,  and  you  may  rest  reasonably  assured  that 
the  strict  integrity  of  your  dealings  will  ultimately  win  for  you 
universal  respect. 


CHAPTER  III 
Principles  Employed   in  Teaching 

In  addition  to  the  business  questions  thus  far  alluded  to, 
there  is  a  numerous  class  of  problems  which  have  to  do  with 
the    personal    relations    between    teacher    and   problems  con- 
pupil.     These  include  such  queries  as:     "How   ceming  the  per- 

.  sonal  relation  of 

shall  the  teacher  approach  his  pupils  and  pa-  teacher  and 
trons?"  "How  far  shall  he  be  guided  by  their 
wishes  in  his  treatment  of  them?"  "How  shall  he  most 
effectually  appeal  to  the  mind  of  his  pupil  ?  "  and  "  How  shall  he 
hold  the  pupil's  interest,  once  it  is  gained  ?"  Tact  and  patience 
have  much  to  do  with  the  solution  of  these;  but  here,  again,  a 
word  from  the  experience  of  another  may  help  to  prevent  the 
serious  blunders  which  so  often  bring  discouragement  in  the 
train  of  the  well-meant  efforts  of  the  young  teacher. 

Your  door  bell  rings,  and  you  are  told  that  a  lady  wishes  to 
see  you  in  regard  to  lessons  for  her  daughter.  As  yoii  go  to  meet 
her,  think  what  she  expects  of  you.  First  of  all.  How  to  meet  a 
she  will  wish  to  feel  that  you  know  what  you  are  °®^  patron, 
about  when  you  profess  to  be  a  piano  teacher;  and  then  she 
will  want  to  see  you  show  a  real  interest  in  her  daughter's 
work,  and  a  desire  to  do  your  best  for  her.  Meet  your  patron 
pleasantly,  hear  what  she  has  to  say,  and  get  at  her  ideas  as 
thoroughly  as  you  are  able,  in  order  that  you  may  be  prepared 
to  respond  to  them  intelligently.  Avoid  all  effusiveness,  but 
answer  her  questions  quietly  and  directly,  giving  her  your  cir- 
cular of  terms,  together  with  any  other  desired  information. 
Remember  that  she  must  be  predisposed  in  your  favor  by 
treating  with  you  at  all,  and  thus  receive  her  advances  with 
consideration  and  respect. 

If,  after  this  consultation,  she  decides  to  intrust  her  daugh- 
ter's instruction  to  your  care,  you  have  next  to  fix  upon  a 

25 


26  PIANO  TEACHING 

time  for  the  lessons  and  to  determine,  either  immediately 
or  on  some  following  date,  what  the  daughter  already  knows 
about  the  subject.  One  of  j^our  index  cards  should  be  used 
„  .       for  recording  the  information   which    you  thus 

How  to  test  the  "^ .  .  "^ 

ability  of  a  new  gain,  and  which  is  to  be  used  as  a  basis  from 
'*"'"  '  which  3'ou  will  proceed.   You  should  ascertain  how 

long  and  with  what  teachers  she  has  previously  studied;  what 
has  been  the  customar^^  amount  of  her  practice;  what  music 
she  is  familiar  with;  how  readily  she  can  memorize;  and  to 
what  use,  if  any,  she  has  put  her  attainments  in  the  direction 
of  playing  solos  or  accompaniments.  If  she  professes  to  be  a 
beginner,  find  out  whether  her  musical  attainments  are  really 
at  zero,  or  whether  she  has  picked  up  some  information  by  her- 
self or  at  school.  Now  ask  her  to  play  for  you.  Let  her  begin  by 
running  a  scale  or  two;  then  let  her  play,  from  memory  if  pos- 
sible, a  piece  which  she  has  learned;  and  finally  let  her  read  at 
sight  something  of  a  straightforward  and  not  difficult  charac- 
ter. Owing  to  her  nervousness,  these  latter  tests  may  yield 
rather  superficial  results;  but  you  can  yet  appreciate  to  a  cer- 
tain degree  the  value  of  her  work,  and  can  decide  what  direc- 
tion your  instructions  must  first  take. 

But  to  return  to  our  amiable  patron.  I  have  said  that 
you  should  get  an  insight  into  her  ideas.  Sometimes  these 
will  be  surprisingly  inaccurate,  and  sometimes  they  will  be 
How  far  to  yield  Quite  at  Variance  with  your  own,  but  in  either 
to  a  client's  wishes,  gj^gg  ^j^gy  should  be  treated  with  tact  rather  than 
with  antagonism.  A  frequent  question  asked,  when  the  pupil 
boasts  of  some  advancement,  is,  "Will  you  have  to  put  her  back 
to  the  beginning  ?  "  "My  dear  Madam,"  you  may  reply,  "I 
could  not  do  so  if  I  chose,  for  I  should  have  to  perform  the 
impossible  task  of  causing  her  to  forget  all  that  she  has 
hitherto  learned.  I  shall  of  course  try  to  teach  her  any  im- 
portant facts  which  she  has  not  mastered,  even  if  these  are  at 
the  very  beginning;  but  she  shall  be  advanced  as  fast  as  such 
needful  work  will  permit."  The  respect,  however,  in  which 
the  ideas  of  the  pupil  or  parents  are  most  inclined  to  encroach 
upon  the  teacher's  prerogatives  is  in  regard  to  the  selection  of 


PIANO   TEACHING  27 

music.  If  they  suggest  compositions  wliich  are  perfectly 
feasible,  there  is,  of  course,  no  reason  why  you  should  not 
accede  to  their  wishes;  but  if,  as  is  generally  the  case,  they 
wish  for  pieces  which  are  either  too  difficult  or  too  trivial,  the 
situation  needs  more  adroit  management.  In  the  former  case, 
you  may  promise  to  consider  the  matter  Avhen  the  pupil  has 
arrived  at  the  proper  stage  of  advancement;  and  in  the  latter 
case  a  system  of  putting  off  the  evil  day  may  make  it  ulti- 
mately possible  to  banish  it  altogether.  This  brings  to  mind 
the  device  of  a  teacher  whom  I  once  knew,  who  was  accus- 
tomed to  put  the  name  of  an  undesirable  piece  which  the 
pupil  wanted  at  the  head  of  a  list  which  she  was  to  take  to 
the  music  store,  and  of  which  she  was  to  obtain  the  first  selec- 
tion in  stock.  Needless  to  say,  he  had  arranged  with  the 
music  seller  never  to  have  available  the  first  piece  on  any  list 
thus  sent!  Sometimes  a  pupil  is  best  cured  of  a  thirst  for 
a  too  difficult  piece  by  allowing  him  to  wrestle  with  it  until 
he  has  had  enough,  and  until,  in  consequence,  his  reliance  upon 
your  judgment  is  strengthened.  When  the  pupil  or  his  friends 
are  dissatisfied  with  the  music  you  give,  the  problem  is  some- 
what more  complicated.  Sometimes  the  best  remedy  is  a 
frank  talk  with  them,  in  which  you  explain  your  reasons  for 
your  selection  and  its  bearing  upon  his  needs.  You  should 
show  that  your  choice  of  music  was  not  at  all  dependent  upon 
chance,  but  that,  as  a  doctor  diagnoses  his  patient's  case,  so 
you  treat  the  wants  of  your  pupil,  anticipating  certain  results 
from  each  dose  of  musical  medicine.  In  short,  you  should  not 
be  obstinate  in  your  demands,  since  pupils  will  practice  what 
appeals  to  them  with  much  more  zeal  and  interest;  and  yet 
you  should  not  abandon  your  prerogatives  when  sure  that  a 
given  course  is  necessary  for  the  pupil. 

"The  teacher's  natural  gifts,"  says  Home,*  "should  include 
such  things  as  tact,  sympathy  with  young  life,  resourceful- 
ness, a  sense  of  humor,  and  a  buoyant  temperament."  Per- 
haps the  quality  of  sympathy  is  the  one  most  needing  emphasis 
as  you  start  with  a  new  pupil.     He  comes  to  you  with  a  cer- 

*  Psychological  Principles  of  Education. 


28  PIANO   TEACHING 

tain  feeling  of  antagonism,  as  to  a  stern  critic  who  cannot  under- 
stand his  limitations.     Knowing  this  fact,  take  the  prescription 
, .     .  suggested  by  Charles  Reade  and  "put  yourself  in 

The  cultivation  .  ^'^  -^  .  i         J 

of  sympathy  with  his  placc."  Look  at  music  through  the  pupil's 
eyes,  with  his  difficulties  before  you  as  to  using 
his  fingers,  reading  music,  and  applying  what  he  reads.  Think 
how  hard  it  is  to  remember  to  put  the  right  finger  over  the 
thumb  in  the  scale  and  that  the  F  must  be  sharped  every 
time  you  meet  it,  when  it  is  in  the  signature.  Then,  in 
the  light  of  your  advanced  attainments,  find  some  way  to 
help  the  conditions,  and  explain  it  to  him,  not  as  a  condescend- 
ing superior,  but  as  an  mtelligent  colaborer.  Rejoice  with  him 
over  each  difficulty  overcome,  and  make  him  feel  the  enthu- 
siasm of  conquest. 

An  advantage  of  private  teaching  lies  in  the  possibility  it 
affords  of  developing  the  individuality  of  pupils.  As  you  have 
„         ^     ,        but  one  client  at  a  time,  you  have  the  opportunity 

How  to  develop  .  '  -^  i  i  J 

the  pupil's  indi-     of  Studying  cacli  one's  innate  characteristics,  and 
ua  1  y.  ^^  bringing  these  out  in  a  manner  which  will 

make  music  a  source  of  personal  expression.  The  thoughtful, 
mathematical  student  may  vent  his  enthusiasm  upon  the  intrica- 
cies of  a  Bach  Fugue;  the  romantic  pupil  will  revel  in  the  poetry 
of  a  Chopin  Nocturne;  and  the  lively  pupil  will  glory  in  the 
same  composer's  Waltzes  and  Mazurkas.  In  the  simpler  grades, 
too,  music  can  be  dwelt  upon  which  the  pupil  practices  with 
pleasure.  So  from  the  earliest  efforts  music  can  be  made  to 
mean  something  more  than  a  mere  routine. 

This  attitude  of  sympathy  demands  also  that  you  shall,  while 
teaching,  put  utterly  aside  your  personal  affairs  and  feelings. 
Self-command  I  havc  kuowu  tcachcrs  to  worry  their  pupils  by  a 
while  teaching.  rccital  of  their  own  woes,  telling  them  how  tired 
they  were,  what  bad  headaches  they  had,  or  how  people  had 
misused  them.  If  you  are  too  ill  or  too  much  troubled  to  teach 
properly,  you  have  no  right  to  give  a  lesson.  Having  assumed 
the  responsibility  of  teaching,  however,  you  should  put  your 
mind  upon  your  work  to  the  exclusion  of  irrelevant  matters. 
And  this  self-command  should  extend  to  all  details  of  the  lesson. 


PIANO   TEACHING  29 

We  read  of  the  antics  of  certain  so-called  teachers  which  are 
displayed  in  fierce  invectives,  rapping  of  knuckles,  and  even 
throwing  about  of  furniture;  but,  while  such  "professors"  have 
won  admirers  among  a  class  of  rhapsodical  young  persons,  it 
is  to  be  hoped  that  a  regime  of  better  manners  is  upon  us. 
1  am  not  at  all  recommending  that  you  should  invarial)ly  main- 
tain a  cool  and  dignified  demeanor;  it  is  necessary  to  show 
animation  in  order  to  arouse  enthusiasm,  and  it  is  sometimes 
wise  to  administer  reproof  with  firmness  and  dispatch;  but  you 
should  alwaj's  act  intentionally  and  intelligently,  with  a  due  con- 
sideration of  what  your  words  and  attitude  are  to  accomplish. 

It  is  pertinent  at  this  point  to  ask  how  far  praise  or  censure 
should  be  given  to  a  pupil.  This  inquiry  brings  to  mind  two 
classes  of  teachers.  Pupils  emerge  from  the  les-  when  to  praise 
sons  of  the  first  convinced  that  they  are  destined  "^  censure  pupils, 
to  startle  the  world  by  their  transcendent  genius;  while  from 
the  studios  of  the  others  come  pupils  bathed  in  tears,  ready  to 
abandon  their  work  in  despair.  Beware,  therefore,  of  super- 
latives in  either  direction.  Criticize  carefully,  leniently,  the 
work  of  each  student,  reproving  only  where  manifest  careless- 
ness or  negligence  is  evident.  Let  your  "well  done"  mean 
much,  and  let  it  be  applied  whenever  faithful  and  thorough  work 
is  apparent,  whether  results  are  brilliant  or  not.  Cultivate  also 
the  thought  of  true  musicianship  in  your  pupils,  rather  than 
that  of  personal  glorification,  and  induce  them  to  become  their 
own  best  critics,  whose  rigorous  judgment  no  praii^e  or  blame 
can  greatly  alter. 

As  you  become  familiar  with  the  pupil's  ability  and  needs, 
you  should  gradually  evolve  for  him  a  plan  of  campaign,  which 
shall  look  forward  to  some  definite  accomplish-  a  general  plan  for 
ment  at  the  close  of  a  course  of  work.  This  plan  ^^=^  p"p"''  '"°'^- 
will  include  a  series  of  technical  exercises  and  a  numl^er  of 
compositions  which  shall,  on  the  one  hand,  put  these  exercises 
into  practical  use,  and,  on  the  other,  give  him  a  well-rounded 
acquaintance  with  the  works  of  leading  composers.  Further- 
more, each  lesson  should  represent  a  step  in  the  unfolding  of 
this  plan.     This  means  that  something  tangible  should  be  ac- 


30  PIANO   TEACHING 

complished  at  each  lesson,  and  that  the  pupil  should  come  away 
from  it  with  a  new  stage  of  attainment.  There  is  alwa^'S  a 
temptation  to  ramble  about  in  a  lesson,  according  as  the  notes 
suggest  ideas.  General  criticisms  should  of  course  be  made  in 
regard  to  incidental  details,  but  in  a  well-constructed  lesson  all 
such  remarks  should  circle  about  and  enforce  some  central 
thought,  which  should  constitute  the  permanent  feature  of  the 
instruction.  Suppose,  for  instance,  that  you  wish  to  make  the 
prominence  of  the  melody  over  the  accompaniment  such  a  fea- 
The  place  of  each  turc.  Lookiug  forward  to  this,  you  assign  a  tech- 
lesson  in  this  plan,  j^jpy^j  cxcrcise  which  wiU  prepare  the  ground,  and 
you  dwell  upon  this  special  phase  of  each  selection  as  it  is 
played  and  criticized.  The  enthusiastic  teacher,  realizing  the 
deficiencies  of  a  pupil's  performance,  is  filled  with  a  burning 
desire  to  remedy  all  these  on  the  spot,  and  to  turn  the  pupil 
into  a  full-blown  artist  in  the  course  of  a  half-hour;  but  if  he 
attempts  to  execute  this  laudable  design,  the  pupil  is  over- 
whelmed with  the  number  of  suggested  improvements,  and  is 
unable  to  carry  out  half  of  them,  however  hard  he  may  try. 
Be  content,  then,  first,  to  correct  any  glaring  errors  which  seri- 
ously mar  the  performance,  and  next  to  drive  home  some  pre- 
dominant thought  with  such  force  that  it  is  indelibly  fixed  in 
the  pupil's  mind.  At  one  lesson,  for  instance,  the  attention  is 
concentrated  on  the  rhythmic  swing  of  the  piece;  at  another 
on  the  phrase  lines;  at  another  on  the  singing  tone-quality,  and 
so  on. 

To  obtain  this  concentration  of  thought  you  should  take  care 
that  the  entire  conduct  of  the  lesson  is  such  that  it  shall  repre- 
Concentration  ^^"^^  ^  Unified  scheme.  At  the  beginning,  run 
during  the  lesson  ovcr  rapidly  what  material  the  pupil  has  to  pre- 
sent, and  decide  in  your  own  mind  what  you  will 
emphasize,  and  how  much  time  each  item  is  to  take.  Working 
on  the  principles  already  suggested  (page  19),  take  up  each  item 
in  order,  and  end  the  lesson  precisely  at  the  expiration  of  the 
allotted  period.  Teachers  sometimes  consider  it  an  act  of 
great  generosity  to  keep  the  lesson  going  far  beyond  its  limits, 
continuing  on  till  the  pupil   is  worn-out  with   the   struggle. 


PIANO   TEACHING  31 

I  have  had  pupils  como  to  me  for  lessons  because  their  former 
teachers  did  this  very  thing!  It  is  so  easy,  too,  to  wander  away 
from  the  lesson  into  all  sorts  of  irrelevant  byways.  Perhaps  a 
strain  in  a  piece  suggests  something  that  the  pupil  has  heard 
recently.  This  recalls  the  company  in  which  she  has  heard  it, 
the  hostess  of  the  occasion,  the  gown  which  the  latter  wore, 
and  other  details  ad  infinitum.  Meanwhile  the  lesson  time  is 
evaporating,  and  ideas  are  going  hopelessly  astray.  If  you  have 
leisure  and  inclination  for  general  conversation,  let  this  occur 
before  or  after  the  lesson;  but  while  the  lesson  is  actually  in 
progress,  stick  to  your  text. 

An  aid  toward  directness  is  found  in  positive  teaching,  that 
is,  teaching  which  shows  how  rather  than  how  not  to  act.  To 
quote  Home  again:  "A  negative  suggestion.  Positive  methods 
that  is,  the  suggestion  not  to  do  a  certain  thing,  °*  teaching, 
fills  the  child's  mind  with  the  idea  of  the  very  act  he  is  told 
not  to  do,  and  so  by  suggestion  tends  to  secure  the  undesired 
act."*  Tell  a  pupil  not  to  play  rapidly,  and  you  put  into  his 
mind  the  thought  of  fast  playing,  not  that  of  slow  playing. 
Say  to  him,  "Do  not  let  your  wrist  jump  so,"  and  the  image  of 
the  jumping  wrist  is  emphasized  in  his  mind,  not  thatof  the  quiet 
one,  which  you  wanted  him  to  have.  The  wrong  ways  of  play- 
ing are  infinite  in  number,  while  the  right  ways  are  extremely 
few.  Why  not,  therefore,  discourage  the  wrong  ways  by 
ignoring  them  utterl}-,  and  making  conceptions  of  correct 
methods  fill  their  places  ?  There  are,  of  course,  some  pitfalls 
against  which  you  must  warn  the  pupil,  but  even  then  the 
finger  should  be  pointed  unswervingly  along  the  straight  and 
narrow  path. 

Perhaps  we  have  already  answered  the  question  as  to  how 
far  subjects  other  than  those  directlj'  concerning  piano  playing 
shall  be  introduced  into  the  lesson.      You  are  „ 

How  far  subjects 

naturally  anxious  to  make  your  pupil,  as  far  as  other  than  playing 
possible,  an  intelligent  musician,  and  would  be  ™^^ 
glad  to  give  him  a  knowledge  of  other  important  musical  mat- 
ters, like  harmony,  form,  and  history.     The  fact  is,  however, 
*  Psychological  Principles  of  Education. 


32  PIANO  TEACHING 

that  you  are  employed  to  teach  him  how  to  play  the  piano, 
and  that  the  limitations  of  your  time  for  this  do  not  permit 
you  to  plunge  into  other  troubles.  To  a  certain  extent,  how- 
ever, you  can  open  up  these  subjects.  The  test  of  how  far  you 
€an  deal  with  them  is  their  direct  bearing  upon  the  pupil's  work. 
Jn  the  course  of  his  study  of  finger  technic,  for  instance,  the 
formation  of  scales  and  common  chords  can  be  explained;  while 
for  correct  interpretation  it  is  necessary  that  something  should 
be  taught  him  of  the  structure  and  history  of  music.  A  course 
in  music  history,  indeed,  can  be  easily  supervised  by  the  teacher, 
if  he  requires  the  pupil  to  read  a  certain  amount  each  week 
and  to  present  a  synopsis  of  the  epoch  thus  covered  at  the 
following  lesson. 

"What  am  I  to  do  about  blunders  and  mistakes  ?"  you  ask. 
In  the  first  place,  leave  no  stone  unturned  to  prevent  them. 
„  The  methods  of  accurate  practice  which  I  have 

How  to  prevent  _  _  ^ 

blunders  and  dcscribccl  (page  20)  will  aid  much  in  this  direc- 
tion, and,  for  the  rest,  it  remains  for  you  to  see 
that  a  pupil  is  duly  prepared  to  work  upon  the  material  you 
give  him.  Many  a  teacher,  at  the  close  of  the  lesson,  hands 
over  to  the  pupil  a  composition  full  of  traps  for  the  unwary, 
telling  him  to  learn  it  for  the  next  lesson.  What  wonder  if  he 
consequently  flounders  about  in  it  bewildered,  and  brings  a  mass 
of  errors  with  him  at  the  close  of  the  struggle!  Whenever  you 
give  a  new  passage  to  be  learned,  be  sure  that  the  pupil  is  put 
in  condition  to  grapple  with  it.  If  he  has  already  cultivated 
accurate  habits  of  practice,  you  may  intrust  it  to  him  without 
much  delay;  but  even  in  such  a  case,  you  should  look  over  the 
ground  with  him  examining  the  fingering  to  make  sure  of  its 
practicability,  and  explaining  any  doubtful  passages.  In  most 
cases,  however,  more  detailed  analysis  than  this  is  necessary. 
W"it)h  young  pupils,  or  those  who  have  a  tendency  toward  inac- 
curacy, an  excellent  plan  is  to  read  the  new  passage  over,  letting 
them  play  the  part  written  for  one  hand  while  you  \)\a.y  that 
written  for  the  other,  and  making  sure  that  the  start  is  made 
with  correct  ideas  of  rhythm,  technic,  and  fingering. 

With  the  utmost  care,  however,  mistakes  will  creep  in.     Let 


PIANO   TEACHING  33 

the  pupil  find  these  out  for  himself,  so  far  as  possible.  Tell 
him  that  a  note  in  a  certain  measure  is  played  wrong,  and  let 
him  find  out  for  himself  which  one  it  is,  and  what  is  wrong  al)out 
it.    If  he  disregards  the  signature,  let  him  describe   „     , 

"  .  .  How  to  eradicate 

it  to  you,  and  convict  him  out  of  his  own  mistakes  and 
mouth  by  having  him  play  the  passage  containing 
his  error  and  then  comparing  it  with  his  statements.  Doubtful 
notes  may  further  be  encircled  with  pencil  marks,  and  may  be 
assigned  special  practice  work,  such  as  a  repetition  twenty  times 
daily.  Mistakes  in  rhythm  are  harder  to  deal  with,  and  may 
have  to  be  given  a  dose  of  the  metronome.  Further  discussion 
of  these  is  reserved  for  the  chapter  on  Rhythm.  You  will 
doubtless  invent  various  private  marks,  to  be  used  as  danger 
signals  or  to  emphasize  your  warnings,  and  you  will  also  appre- 
ciate the  value  of  the  blue  pencil  as  an  attraction  to  the  pupil's 
eye.  In  the  case  of  mistakes  which  result  from  nervous  play- 
ing, such  as  jumping  at  the  keys,  nurrying  over  passages,  and 
particularly  stammering,  or  striking  at  the  same  key  several 
times  instead  of  only  once,  you  should  seek  to  generate  a  feeling 
for  repose  by  methods  of  slow  and  thoughtful  analysis. 

Mistakes  are  further  lessened  in  number  by  strictly  regulat- 
ing the  amount  of  work  assigned  in  accordance  with  the  known 
ability  of  the  pupil  and  by  the  practicability  of 
discussing  amply  what  you  have  given  him  to  do.    work  assigned 
I  have  known  pupils  to  be  burdened  with  page   *  ^"'" ' 
after  page  of  difficult  music,  which  they  certainly  could  not 
practice  properly  during  the  week,  and  would  not  even  have 
time   to   play   through   during  the   lesson.      If  the   pupil   is 
studying  some  long  composition,  designate  a  particular  part  of 
it  upon  which  to  lay  the  stress,  and  always  give  him  something 
new  to  work  upon,  even  if  it  be  brief,  or  at  least  suggest  a  new 
treatment  of  something  already  under  consideration.     Do  not 
allow  music  to  become  stale  and  monotonous;  make  the  lesson- 
material  fresh,  bright,  and  interesting. 

The  amount  of  playing  which  you  will  do  in  illustration  of 
the  lesson  is  anothe  ■  question  requiring  thought.  There  are 
those  who  affirm  that  a  pupil's  originality  should  be  developed 


34  PIANO  TEACHING 

by  allowing  him  to  form  an  unprejudiced  conception  of  what 
he  studies.  Doubtless  there  is  much  wisdom  in  this  contention, 
assuming,  of  course,  that  the  pupil  has  originality  to  develop; 
Illustrative  play-  but  is  it  not  an  objection  rather  to  the  abuse 
ing  by  the  teacher.  ^^^^  ^^  ^^le  use  of  musical  illustrations?  .Vnd 
might  we  not  as  reasonably  declare  that  students  of  the  graphic 
art  should  not  be  shown  pictures,  lest  they  become  mere  imi- 
tators, as  to  say  that  students  should  not  hear  their  music 
played  by  others  ?  Thus,  I  advocate  a  discriminating  amount 
of  playing  by  the  teacher,  such  as  that  of  passages  obscure  in 
melody  or  rhythm  in  a  new  piece.  Occasionally,  also,  the 
entire  piece  may  be  played  to  the  pupil,  with  the  result  that  he 
will  work  with  tenfold  enthusiasm  upon  it.  Only  take  care  to 
present  the  piece  as  you  wish  him  to  practice  it,  and  not  to 
give  a  dashing,  brilliant  performance  of  it,  since  he  will  in  that 
case  be  inclined  to  eliminate  the  necessary  preliminaries  which 
should  lead  to  these  effects.  Again,  occasional  illustrations  in 
the  course  of  a  lesson  may  flash  upon  the  pupil's  mind  ideas 
which  it  would  take  much  time  to  describe.  Often  after  a  long 
piece  has  been  well  learned,  too,  and  has  been  played  through 
creditably  by  him,  it  is  profitable  for  you  to  change  places  with 
him  at  the  piano,  and  to  demonstrate  points  to  be  made  here 
and  there,  climaxes  to  be  emphasized,  runs  to  be  smoothed  over, 
and  melodies  to  be  given  significance. 

How  are  you  to  enlist  the  pupil's  interest  in  his  work?     And 
is  it  possible,  having  so  enlisted  it,  to  hold  it  not  only  during 

the  lesson  periods,  but  also  throughout  his  prac- 
eniisting  and  re-  ticc?  As  to  the  first  questiou,  the  answer  should 
Lnterest*^^  pupii's  j^q^  j^g  difficult,  and  has  been  previously  suggested. 

A  new  teacher,  new  technical  devices,  and  new 
music,  should  certainly  arouse  his  enthusiasm;  and  if  these  are 
supported  by  the  conviction  that  the  teacher  is  both  master  of 
his  subject  and  sympathetic  in  his  attitude,  the  journey  should 
surely  be  begun  smoothly  and  joyfully.  It  is  only  when  these 
novelties  have  begun  to  wear  off,  when  the  sound  of  your  voice 
has  become  familiar  to  his  ears,  when  amusement  has  given 
place  to  real  work,  that  the  more  difficult  problem  of  how  to 


PIANO   TEACHING  35 

retain  his  interest  arises;  and  it  is  then  that  the  art  of  the 
teacher  nuist  be  fully  displayed. 

The  greatest  aid  toward  retaining  interest  is  found  in  variety 
of  presentation.  The  tt^acher  who  sits  in  the  same  place  beside 
his  pupil  hour  after  hour,  droning  along  his  com-  ^^^^  ^^  ^^  ^^. 
ments  and  his  one-and-lwo-a)id-thrce-and-Jour-and  tion  while  teach- 
must  not  wonder  if  his  talk  comes  to  be  relegated 
to  the  same  category  as  the  noise  of  the  waterfall  or  the  hum 
of  bees.  Nor  can  the  teacher  who  listens  to  a  piece  through  a 
pleasant  drowse,  and  who  only  arouses  in  time  to  tell  the  pupil 
to  go  on  with  the  next  selection,  hope  to  set  the  world  afire 
with  the  results.  Avoid  the  eternally  expected.  Wake  up 
your  pupil  by  keeping  alive  yourself.  Mere  changes  of  position 
will  help  much:  so,  sometimes  sit  beside  the  pupil,  sometimes 
change  places  with  him  at  the  instrument,  and  sometimes  get 
the  effect  of  his  playing  from  different  parts  of  the  room,  where 
you  may  hear  the  music  without  seeing  the  notes  or  his  fingers. 
In  like  manner,  give  him  the  opportunity  to  change  his  thought 
of  a  piece  by  sending  him  into  a  remote  corner  and  letting 
him  listen  to  the  effect  of  it  as  you  play  it  to  him. 

Then,  too,  use  different  methods  of  criticism.  Let  the  pupil 
sometimes  play  the  entire  piece  before  saying  a  word,  and,  after 
he  has  thus  presented  his  own  thoughts,  give  your  Methods  of  criti- 
criticisms  en  bloc.  Again,  let  him  play  only  a  few  "^™" 
notes  at  a  time,  repeating  these  till  he  has  caught  the  spirit  of 
your  suggestions,  taking  care,  however,  not  to  work  too  long 
at  this  latter  process,  lest  you  give  him  more  than  he  can  assimi- 
late. 

And,  on  this  line,  remember  that  the  best  teacher  does  not 
simply  pour  in  ideas,  but  that  he  stimulates  the  pupil  to  develop 
his  own.  The  continual  nagging  customary  to  stimulation  of 
some  teachers  is  eminently  fitted  to  blunt  all  origi-  *^^  pupil's  ideas, 
nality  in  the  pupil  and  to  fill  him  with  hatred  of  the  whole 
subject.  You  are  to  furnish  simply  the  sign-posts  along  the 
way;  and  when  these  are  not  absolutely  necessary,  do  not  put 
them  up.  In  other  words,  talk  as  little  as  is  necessary  to 
accomplish  results.     Ask  questions  of  the  pupil,  and  adopt  ideas 


36 


PIANO   TEACHING 


which  he  presents,  even  if  they  are  not  wholly  in  accord  with 
your  own.  Induce  him  to  try  different  effects  of  phrasing  and 
to  choose  the  one  he  considers  most  fitting.  It  is  even  possible 
sometimes  to  stimulate  a  pupil  to  evolve  his  own  conception 
of  a  piece  without  giving  him  a  single  direct  instruction  as  to 
how  to  play  it;  and  he  will  in  consequence  be  proportionately 
strengthened  in  his  own  powers  of  interpretation. 

This  thought-stimulation  can  be  effected  by  many  other 
devices.  The  abstract  character  of  music  is  such  as  to  place  it 
„  ^ .       outside  the  world  of  interesting  realities  to  many 

How  to  attach  im-  _  .      ,  .      ,  _        '^ 

aginative  ideas  to  minds;  and  it  is  only  when  it  is  brought  within 
^  ^'^'^^'  the  range  of  concrete  experience  that  it  begins  to 

take  on  meaning  to  them.  Let  a  piece  be  associated  with  some 
agreeable  experience,  let  it  represent  an  attractive  thought,  scene, 
or  story,  and  it  is  invested  with  the  breath  of  life.  I  have  some- 
times aroused  enthusiasm  for  Bach  in  a  pupil  to  whom  contra- 
puntal subtleties  made  no  appeal  by  attaching  some  whimsical 
words  to  a  theme.  Let,  for  instance,  the  eighth  two-part  Inven- 
tion  represent    a   maiden    and    her   lover,    out    for    a    stroll. 


She  sings, 


and  he  answers. 


The  spring  has  come  a   -   gainl  The  spring  has  cume  a  -   gain! 

The  lady  repeats  her  remark,  and  they  both  laugh  merrily: 


After  more  conversation,  they  reach  their  destination  as  she 
gJQgg     ^4/'IJJ  J^lfJ      The  remainder  of  the 

It         is    the  mer-ry  month  of     May  I 

invention  is  occupied  with  the  home  journey,  during  which  a 
similar  dialogue  occurs.  Such  a  device,  calling  attention  to 
the  structure,  may  afterwards  bring  the  pupil  to  an  appreciation 


PIANO  TEACHING 


37 


of  the  "art  for  art's  sake"  value  of  the  composition.  Modern 
music,  of  course,  lends  itself  more  legitimately  to  a  connec- 
tion with  definite  imagery.  Consider  as  an  example  Ethelbert 
Nevin's  Barchetta,  Op.  21,  No.  3.  In  itself  it  is  a  melodious 
little  piece,  giving  opportunities  for  graceful  legato  playing. 
But  when  its  first  difficulties  are  overcome  and  the  monotony 
of  repetition  begins  to  tell  upon  its  fate,  vivify  it  for  the  pupil 
by  showing  how  it  might  paint  a  dainty  night  scene  in  Venice. 
First,  we  hear  the  gentle  lapping  of  the  waters. 


and  see  the  shimmer  of  moonbeams  on  the  quiet  canals.  A 
boatload  of  singing  companions  rows  past  us,  and  we  listen  to 
their  gay  notes,     q  u.jj 


till  these  die  away  in  the  distance.  Now  the  former  scene  again 
claims  our  attention,  but  this  time  snatches  of  a  love  song 
are  wafted  through  it, 


and  the  curtain  falls  as  the  mellow  tenor  strains  are  borne 
in  upon  us. 

Some  of  the  methods  already  mentioned  are  potent  factors 
in  giving  interest  to  the  pupil's  practice.  Regular  and  system- 
atic work  in  itself  should  cultivate  the  habit  of    ^^     . 

Changing  the 

putting  his  thought  upon  his  music  at  stated  times  style  of  the  musk 
each  day ;  and  among  other  aids  toward  this  result, 
that  of  assigning  him  music  to  study  which  is  both  attractive 
and  varied  in  character  is  of  paramount  importance.  I  have 
spoken  of  the  advantage  of  selecting  music  which  will  develop 
the  pupil's  individuality.  Be  careful,  also,  to  change  the  style 
with  each  new  piece  given,  following  a  bright  gavotte  by  a 
dreamy  nocturne,  this  with  a  Bach  Invention,  and  this  with  a 
brilliant  salon  piece.  If  any  given  composition  has  been  studied 
until  interest  in  it  is  in  danger  of  becoming  threadbare,  lay  it 


38  PIANO   TEACHING 

aside  for  a  time,  to  be  taken  up  with  fresh  enthusiasm  after  a 
contrast  has  intervened.  There  are,  indeed,  several  stages  in 
the  complete  stud\-  of  a  piece:  that  of  the  analj'sis  of  techni- 
cal details,  that  of  phrasing  and  memorizing,  and  that  of  final 
polishing;  and  a  complete  rest  from  its  study  of  at  least  two  or 
three  weeks  is  advisable  after  each  of  these  stages  as  the  surest 
means  of  causing  it  to  assimilate  in  the  mind. 

Let  the  pupil  feel,  also,  that  in  following  out  each  process  he 
is  pursuing  the  methods  of  an  artist,  and  not  of  a  mere  dilet- 
tante. Impress  upon  him  the  importance  of  gaug- 
of  the  pupil  toward  ing  all  his  work  bj^  real  art  standards.  Fire 
fnstr'^ment^'"*  ^''  ^"^^  ^^'^^^  ambition  to  study  nothing  but  the  best 
music,  and  to  execute  every  detail  of  this  in  the 
finest  manner  of  which  he  is  capaole.  Let  this  respect  for  his 
music  extend  even  to  his  instrument.  Pupils  sometimes  seem 
to  take  a  fiendish  glee  in  treating  the  piano,  outside  of  their 
practice  time,  with  all  sorts  of  barbarities,  cuffing  and  beating 
it  about,  and  degrading  its  dignity  by  making  it  shriek  out 
rag-time  music  literally  by  the  pound.  Try,  therefore,  to  instill 
into  your  pupil  such  a  reverence  for  his  instrument  that  he  will 
regard  it  as  the  exponent  of  none  but  great  ideas,  and  that 
there  shall  be  an  element  of  artistry  about  every  touch  which 
he  bestows  upon  it. 

A  final  means  of  retaining  interest  consists  in  furnishing  a 

definite  goal  for  w^hich  to  strive.     If  only  the  pupil  has  in  mind 

something  which  he  is  to  do  with  his  piece  when 

Importance  of  hav-    _      _ 

ing  an  object  for  it  is  learned,  and  even  some  special  time  at  which 
it  is  to  be  ready,  he  will  work  with  quite  a  different 
attitude  toward  it.  The  occasion  may  be  very  simple:  he  may 
only  be  intending  to  play  it  to  his  parents,  at  the  family  gather- 
ing, or  at  the  musical  club;  but  the  effect  of  the  stimulus  is 
there,  nevertheless,  and  there  is  perhaps  no  incentive  which  will 
hold  him  more  diligently  to  his  work.  Bearing  this  fact  in 
mind,  you  will  appreciate  the  possibilities  before  you  of  bringing 
your  pupils  together  for  social  intercourse  or  small  recitals,  and 
of  giving  them  the  added  spur  of  emulation,  which  will  come  as 
they  hear  each  other's  accomplishments.     I   will  not  discuss 


PIANO   TEACHING  39 

tliis  suI)j(H't  further  at  this  point,  as  its  importance  demands  a 
separate  chapter. 

You  must  therefore  have  j^rinciples  of  action  which  will 
regulate  your  conduct  in  treating  with  your  patrons,  in  carrying 
on  the  lesson,  and  in  holding  the  i)upirs  attention 

...  I      1  1       ■  1  ■  p  Summary. 

during  its  course  and  also  during  the  time  oi  prac- 
tice. Toward  your  pupils  and  patrons  you  will  adopt  a  bearing 
which,  though  conciliator}'  and  tactful,  will  yet  admit  of  no 
derogation  from  your  standards.  When  lessons  are  begun,  you 
will  seek  primarily  to  gain  the  confidence  of  your  pupil,  and 
will  then  work  toward  the  development  of  his  individuality. 
The  keynote  of  your  teaching  must  be  conceyttration,  which 
involves  a  focusing  of  your  instructions  that  will  cause  you  to 
lay  aside  all  personal  feelings  during  the  lesson  hour,  and  to 
seek,  by  positive  methods,  to  present  clearly  some  central  idea, 
which  shall  constitute  a  step  in  the  development  of  a  precon- 
ceived plan.  Praise  or  censure  must  be  administered  with  dis- 
crimination and  without  superlatives;  mistakes  and  blunders 
should  be  avoided  as  far  as  possible,  and,  when  made,  should 
be  dealt  with  rigorously.  The  use  of  varied  and  attractive  styles 
of  music,  the  avoidance  of  monotony  of  treatment,  the  employ- 
ment of  judicious  illustrations,  and  the  attachment  of  some  pic- 
ture or  story  to  the  music  are  some  of  the  devices  for  exciting 
interest,  all  of  which  are  of  worth;  while  the  cultivation  of  a  feel- 
ing for  the  art-value  of  the  work,  and  the  study  of  each  impor- 
tant selection  with  some  definite  end  of  performance  in  view,  will 
continually  add  fuel  to  the  fire  of  the  pupil's  inspiration.  Piano 
instructions,  in  fine,  must  be  varied,  yet  unified;  they  must 
flavor  systematic  and  concentrated  work  with  the  spice  of  cer- 
tain and  obvious  progress. 


CHAPTER  IV 

The  First  Lessons  with  a   New  Pupil 

When  the  chauffeur  wishes  to  start  up  his  automobile,  he- 
must  first  impart  to  it  the  initial  impulse  which  will  set  its 
„     ...  machinery  in  motion.     After  this,  if  it  is  in  work- 

Special  impor-  •^  _ 

tance  of  the  first  ing  Order,  if  he  keeps  it  well  oiled  and  steers  prop- 
erly, it  will  speed  along  the  path  he  has  chosen. 
So  it  is  with  piano  lessons:  if  the  initial  impulse  be  carefully 
given  in  the  first  few  lessons,  there  is  little  trouble  afterwards  in 
keeping  to  the  right  road.  In  these  lessons  you  must  gain  that 
confidence  of  the  pupil  of  which  I  have  spoken;  you  must  see 
that  the  foundations  of  his  knowledge  are  securely  laid;  and 
you  must  incite  him  toward  the  acquirement  of  those  habits  of 
perseverance  and  accurate  study  which  alone  will  insure  his 
success. 

The  pupils  who  come  to  you  will   probal^ly  represent  all 

stages  of  progress.     There  will  be  soi-disant  beginners  who  really 

know  quite  a  little  about  the  subject,  and  there 

Advantage  or  '  . 

starting  from  the  will  be  "advanced"  pupils  who  know  worse  than 
eginmng.  j-^Q^^j^jj^g  about  it.  You  Can  count  yourself  fortu- 
nate if,  in  the  beginning,  you  have  to  deal  with  small  children 
whose  minds  are  practically  a  blank  sheet  of  paper  for  you  to 
write  upon.  In  teaching  such  you  have  the  advantage  of  gain- 
ing experience  in  the  fundamental  work  of  piano  instruction; 
and,  if  you  succeed,  the  resultant  product  will  be  exclusively 
the  fruit  of  your  own  labors.  It  is  this  kind  of  pupil  therefore, 
which  we  will  first  discuss. 

In  your  talks  with  parents,  you  will  undoubtedly  be  asked 
the  question,  "How  old  should  my  boy  be  l^efore  he  begins  les- 
sons?" While  no  absolute  answer  can  be  given,  owing  to  the 
difference  of  attainment  in  individual  cases,  you  may  reasonably 
reply  that  he  should  be  not  younger  than  six  years  and  not 

40 


PIANO   TEACHING  41 

older  than  fourteen,  in  order  to  secure  the  best  results.  Before 
these  limits  neither  hands  nor  brain  are  normally  ready  for  real 
study,  and  instruction  can  be  given  only  in  kinder-  „,^  , .  .^   ^    , 

.    .         ,  "  What  IS  the  best 

garten  doses,  except  to  prodigies  like  Mozart,  who  age  at  which  to 
played  at  the  age  of  four;  while  after  four- 
teen, fingers  have  acquired  such  fixed  habits  in  other  directions 
that  they  can  seldom  be  trained  to  virtuosity  on  the  keyboard.* 
Your  small  pupil  of  seven  years  is  now  waiting,  expectant 
and  open-eyed,  for  his  first  lesson.  In  anticipation  of  it,  you 
have   ready   the   invariable  memorandum    book  ^^        .,    . 

"  ,  ,  The  pupu  s  in- 

(page  18)  and  a  first  instruction  book.  Of  several  troduction  to  the 
of  these  latter  that  are  available  I  shall  assume  '"^'^°' 
that  you  use  the  one  by  Kohler,  Op.  190,  since  this  is  simple  and 
logical,  and  since  it  brings  the  pupil  very  soon  into  intercourse 
with  both  clefs.  Master  Paul  is  now  to  be  introduced  to  his 
future  friend,  as  we  hope,  namely,  the  piano.  I  must  leave  to 
you  the  method  of  getting  hold  of  his  little  mind  and  of  culti- 
vating his  friendship;  if  you  are  fond  of  children,  the  task  will 
not  be  difficult.  As  he  is  a  boy,  he  will  receive  with  avidity  any 
information  about  the  construction  of  the  piano.  Show  him  how 
the  strings  are  stretched,  let  him  get  a  peep  at  the  hammers  as 
they  hop  up  when  the  keys  are  depressed,  and  have  him  listen 
to  different  tone  qualities  and  quantities  arising  from  varieties 
of  touch.  Now  he  is  to  be  shown  how  to  go  to  work  to  produce 
these  results  and  to  make  them  into  real  music.  Does  he  see 
the  name  of  the  maker  on  the  front  board,  above  the  keys? 
Yes.  Well,  he  is  to  sit  directly  opposite  that  name,  and  he 
must  screw  his  stool  up  so  that  his  arms  and  hands  are  brought 
to  the  proper  height  relative  to  the  keys.  Now  he  is  made  to 
notice  that  here  is  a  group  of  two  black  keys,  then  one  of  three 
black  ones,  then  one  of  two,  and  so  on,  up  and  clown  the  key- 
board; and  he  is  told  that  the  white  key  just  before  each  group 
of  two  black  ones  is  always  a  C.     Yes,  he  is  able  to  find  eight  of 

*  For  those  who  wish  to  conduct  kindergarten  classes,  Mrs.  Hermann 
Kotzschmar's  excellent  book,  Half  Hour  Lcssotis  in  Music,  is  suggested. 
This  may  be  followed  by  Jean  Parkman  Brown's  Intervals,  Chords  and 
Ear  Training. 


42  PIANO  TEACHING 

these  C's  by  diligent  search.  Let  us  locate  especially  the  one 
directly  in  front  of  him,  and  give  it  a  first  name,  —  Middle  C. 
We  then  proceed  to  assign  the  fingers  number-names:  the  thumb, 
Location  of  fingers  being  the  biggest,  is  Number  One;  the  index  fin- 
on  the  keyboard,  ggj.  ^^leri  becomcs  Number  Two,  and  so  on,  up  to 
the  fifth  finger.  Now  let  us  introduce  these  fingers  to  the  key- 
board by  their  names.  Number  Five  of  the  left  hand  bows  to 
our  old  acquaintance,  Middle  C,  while  the  other  fingers  pair  off 
with  the  following  alphabet  letters.  Four  on  D,  Three  on  E, 
Two  on  F,  and  One  on  G.  With  the  right  hand  a  similar  union 
is  accomplished  in  the  reverse  order.  Number  One  meeting  the  C 
next  above  Middle  C,  Number  Two  the  adjoining  D,  and  so  on, 

Paul  can  now  play,  in  this  order,  every  C DE FGF E DC  on 
the  piano,  with  each  hand,  naming  the  notes  as  he  does  so.  As 
The  first  techni-  to  technic,  show  him  how  to  hold  his  hand  easily 
cai  exercise.  ^^^  ^q  pj.ggg  ^^le  keys  Quietly,  so  that  they  give 
out  a  pleasant  sound.  Do  not  bother  him  about  minor  details: 
the  poor  child  has  enough  complications  with  which  to  burden 
his  brain;  and,  in  general,  strive  to  lead  him  into  correct  habits 
of  using  his  fingers  by  allowing  him  to  make  natural  and  unforced 
motions,  rather  than  by  loading  him  with  rules  and  restrictions. 
If  he  takes  to  your  system  of  technic  thus  readily,  it  will  furnish 
an  excellent  proof  of  its  normal  and  reasonable  character. 

After  Paul  has  handled  the  various  registers  of  the  instru- 
ment, he  may  return  to  his  original  position  on  the  keys,  as 
Explanation  of  this  is  the  One  from  which  he  is  to  make  his  bow 
staff  construction.  ^^  g^  performer.  He  has  thus  received  an  intro- 
duction to  the  keys  that  he  is  first  to  use,  and  is  now  to  be  made 
acquainted  with  the  queer  shapes  and  characters  which  are 
eventually  to  tell  to  him  the  secrets  of  the  musical  composers. 
He  will  be  interested  to  see  you  draw  on  paper  a  staff  of  eleven 
lines,  and  to  hear  that  at  one  time  notes  were  written  all  over 
these  lines;  that  later  on  this  staff  broke  in  two,  so  that  the  two 
five-lined  staves  became  separated,  and  that  the  remaining  mid- 
dle line  was  left  floating  about,  so  that  now  it  is  anchored  some- 
times directly  under  the  upper  staff,  and  sometimes  over  the  lower 
one;  also  that  this  floating  line  is  the  home  of  his  former  friend, 


PIANO   TEACHING  43 

Middle  C.  Furthermore,  Paul  is  told  that  each  line  and  space 
of  these  staves  is  the  home  of  a  note  which  represents  a  key  on 
the  piano,  and  that  tliese  notes  are  named  as  they  go  up  or 
down  one  by  one,  just  as  the  keys  were  named  successively  by 
the  letters  of  the  alphabet.  Let  him  now  name  the  lines  and 
spaces  from  Middle  C  up  to  G,  and  explain  how  the  letter  G 
was  originally  placed  before  this  line  to  show  that  First  work  with 
the  note  G  was  written  on  it,  and  how  this  letter  '^®  ^^^^^^  ^*^^- 
afterwards  took  the  modern  form  which  means  the  G  or  Treble 

clef,  thus:    ^  ^  ^  e  r  yH     Let  him  play  the  notes  discovered 

in  this  way  by  the  fingers  of  his  left  hand 
and  lead  from  this  to  the  C  D  E  F  G  to 

be  played  by  the  right 

We  will  not  enter  upon  the  subject  of  time  duration  at  this 
lesson,  but  will  content  ourselves  with  telling  him  that  the  round 
open  note  ^  is  a  whole  note,  and  that  the  black 

Summation  of  ma- 
terial for  the  first 


horizontal   bar  hanging   from   a  line    __  -  ■-  is  a  one  or  two  lessons. 

whole  rest,  meaning  to  take  up  the  key  which  is  depressed. 
He  may  now  give  the  name  of  each  note  in  the  first  exercise 
(Kohler,  Op.  190),  and  play  it  with  the  proper  finger  as  he 
does  so.  His  work  during  the  week  is  daily  to  play  the 
five  keys  you  have  shown  him  with  each  hand  in  each  octave, 
to  write  the  name  of  each  note  in  the  first  exercise  above  it, 
and  to  play  these  notes  with  the  separate  hands.  Such  is  the 
material  for  the  first  lesson  of  a  bright  and  intelligent  child. 
If  the  lesson-time  is  particularly  short  or  he  is  not  quick  to 
comprehend,  it  may  be  easily  divided  into  two  parts,  so  that  he 
is  told  simply  about  the  keyboard  in  the  first  lesson,  while  the 
notation  items  are  reserved  for  the  second. 

The  first  duty  at  each  following  lesson  is  to  go  over  again 
with  extreme  care  each  point  of  the  preceding  les-  Finger  work  in 
son.     Do  not  be  discouraged  if  your  young  pupil   foUo^mg  lessons, 
has  apparently  forgotten  everything  you  told  him.     On  closer 


44 


PIANO   TEACHING 


examination  you  will  find  that  some  facts,  at  least,  have  adhered 
to  his  brain,  and  by  minute  repetition  others  may  be  made  to 
do  so.  Thus,  the  time  of  the  second  lesson  is  not  ill  spent  if 
it  results  simply  in  fixing  some  previous  statements  more  firmly 
and  in  the  preparation  for  a  slight  step  in  advance.  In  order 
to  familiarize  him  still  further  with  the  keyboard,  another  little 
technical  figure  may  be  given  him.  Perhaps  this  will  consist 
of  a  repetition  of  each  finger  movement: 

R.H. 


5       5       5       5 


4444  3333 


2       2       2       2  1111 


L.H. 


Or  it  may  consist  of  an  alternation  of  two  adjoining  fingers: 

R.H. 

12       12  2       3      2      3  3       4      3       4  *      ^      "      1 


L.H. 


In  either  case  the  exercises  are  to  be  played  in  each  octave,  as 
before.  An  inexhaustible  supply  of  such  technical  figures  can 
be  elaborated  with  a  little  thought  and  parceled  out  for  each 
lesson,  while,  as  various  scales  are  brought  into  use,  these 
figures  may  be  applied  to  each  of  them,  as  well  as  to  each 
octave.  Thus  the  pupil  will  finally  play  the  slow  trill,  the 
second  of  the  above  exercises,  on  the  first  five  notes  of  the 
scales  of  C,  G,  F,  D,  and  so  on. 

The  subject  of  scales  may  be  broached  very  soon,  generally 
by  the  third  or  fourth  lesson,  and  may  be  continued  either  con- 
The  beginning  of  jointly  with  the  simple  finger  exercises,  or  in  alter- 
scaie  practice.  nation  with  them,  for  variety.  The  scale  of  C  is 
explained  and  played  with  the  separate  hands,  for  one  octave; 
and  then  nearly  related  scales,  G,  F,  D,  are  taken  up  in  order 


PIANO   TEACHING  45 

with  an  accompanying  explanation  of  how  they  are  formed 
from  the  first.  80,  in  a  few  weeks,  Paul  should  be  able  to  play, 
with  hands  together,  a  single  octave  of  the  scales  he  is  first 
called  upon  to  use.  Do  not  push  into  complicated  keys  too 
soon,  for  that  would  be  violating  our  principle  of  keeping  all 
parts  of  our  work  strictly  correlated.  Onl}'  after  the  simple 
keys  have  become  familiar  friends  and  the  principle  of  the 
introduction  of  new  sharps  and  flats  is  fully  understood,  should 
we  broaden  our  horizon  to  include  the  complete  circle  of  the 
major  scales. 

We  left  our  small  pupil  in  a  very  incipient  stage  of  the  study 
of  notation.  At  his  second  or  third  lesson  the  subject  of  time- 
values  may  be  introduced.     Assuming  that  his   ^   ,     ,. 

•^  _  °  _  Explanation  of 

knowledge  of  mathematics  has  reached  the  point  beats  and  time- 
where  he  knows  that  four  quarters  make  a  whole, 
we  proceed  to  show  him  that  the  whole  note  is  frequently 
divided  into  four  quarters,  equal  in  time  duration.  The  nature 
of  beats  as  even  measures  of  time  is  explained,  the  office  of  the 
time-signature  and  the  measure  bars  in  regulating  the  number 
and  nature  of  beats  is  made  plain,  and  these  facts  are  given  a 
practical  application  by  having  him  play  the  exercise  previously 
assigned  while  he  counts  four  slow  and  even  pulses  to  each  note. 
If  this  test  be  carried  out  successfull}^,  he  is  prepared  to  put  the 
hands  together,  counting  as  before. 

Subdivisions  of  the  time-unit  are  now  in  order.     Cut  a  whole 
note  in  two  by  a  vertical  line  9  and  show  how  two  half-notes 
are  thus  formed,  and  how  each  of  these  must  Half  and  quarter 
receive  two  beats.     The  corresponding  half-rest,   °°*®^  ^°*^  '■®^'^' 
too,  looks  like  the  whole-rest,  but  as  it  is  so  much  lighter  it  does 


not  fall  through  the  line,  but  sits  comfortably  upon  it 


Squeezing  up  the  half-note  into  a  quarter  results  in  making  it 
black  in  the  face  •;  and,  in  the  case  of  the  rest,  in  giving  it  a 
broken  back,  so  that  it  has  the  queer  shape  T. 

The  study  of  the  relative  proportions  of  this  family  of  three 
notes  carries  us  through  the  first  four  exercises  in  our  book, 
each  one  having  been  practiced  first  with  the  hands  separately 


46  PIANO   TEACHING 

and  then  with  them  together.  A  new  step  is  taken  in  number 
five,  when  the  hands  begin  to  play  different  notes  at  the  same 
time.  After  each  line  has  been  learned  with  the  separate  hands, 
this  process  of  putting  each  pair  of  sounds  together  is  begun  by 
^.    .     ,.„  first  placing  the  left-hand  finger  over  its  note,  then 

Playing  different  .  .... 

notes  in  the  two  the  right-hand  finger  in  its  position  and  finally  by 
striking  these  together.  This  new  process  is  con- 
ducted first  without  counting,  and  afterwards,  when  it  is  readily 
performed,  with  the  beats.  The  ability  to  play  notes  of  dif- 
ferent durations  in  the  two  hands  is  easily  acquired  from  these 
premises,  and  in  the  study  of  this  phase  we  are  brought  through 
the  ninth  exercise. 

Up  to  this  point  each  finger  has  been  associated  with  a  fixed 
note.  In  exercise  ten  we  begin  to  remove  this  restriction  by 
Changing  hand-  introducing  a  uew  note  in  the  left  hand,  which 
notes°phrasfng'^  Consequently  changes  its  position.  This  feature 
^^^^^-  is  enlarged  upon  until  the  notes  of  the  entire 

scale  from  Middle  C  to  G  alcove  the  octave  are  employed. 
Meanwhile  the  eighth-note  (•  )  is  introduced.  In  exercise  seven- 
teen the  phrasing  marks,  which  are  met  for  the  first  time, 
should  receive  careful  attention,  as  should  also  all  other  musical 
signs  as  they  appear. 

Having  thus  become  king  of  the  most  important  domain  of 
the  treble  register,  Paul  is  prepared  to  grapple  with  the 
Explanation  of  bass  clef .  Reference  is  again  had  to  our  divided 
the  bass  clef.  eleveu-Hned  staff,  and  the  Middle  C  line  is  allowed 
to  float  to  its  position  above  the  lower  five  lines.  Counting 
down  five  degrees  from  this  C,  we  reach  the  F  at  the  second 
line  from  the  top,  and  before  it  place  its  original  letter, 
showing    how    this    was    changed    to    the  modern   bass  sign, 

thus:  ^  s  ^:[|_     ii  is  easy  now  to  locate  the  bass  C,  and 

thus  to  bring  the  hand  into  position  for  exercise  nineteen. 
Following  steps  include  the  more  extensive  use  of  double  notes 
(Exercise  22),  the  expansion  of  the  bass  register  and  the  use 
of  accidentals  (Exercise  24),  the  use  of  new  tonalities  (Exer- 
cises 25,  26,  etc.),  and  the  introduction  of  new  rhythms  and 


PIANO   TEACHING  47 

notes  of  new  values  like  triplets  (Exercise  33)  and  sixteenths 
(Exercise  36).  Tims  the  scope  of  Paul's  knowledse  is  <i;ra(l- 
ually  witlencd,  until  its  general  features  are  unfolded,  ready 
for  further  amplification.  While  Kohler's  book  other  steps  in 
has  thus  been  made  the  subject  of  constant  °<"^''°°  study, 
reference,  a  similar  course  can  be  easily  followed  out  in  using 
any  other  primary  studies. 

When  shall  Paul  have  his  first  piece?  Ah,  that  question 
brings  up  the  vivid  memory  of  that  first  piece  which  so  filled 
our  own  hearts  with  pride  and  ioy.     How  trium- 

^     ,  ,  .,  When  should  the 

phantly  we  Iwre  it  home  to  exhibit  to  our  admiring   first  piece  be 

relatives  !     How  Mamma  praised  us  for  winning   ^''^°' 

such  a  prize,  and  how  Grandpa  scoffed  at  the  idea  that  we  could 

ever  learn  it!     Just  so  is  Paul's  first  piece  to  be  an  event  in 

his  life,  and  to  furnish  him  with  new  incentives  for  practice. 

You  may  prepare  for  it  when  he  is  only  a  very  little  way  along 

by  teaching  him  some  of  the  clever  little  duets  for  teacher  and 

pupil,  notably  those  by  Wohlfahrt,  Op.  87.*     As  he  learns  each 

of  these,  give  it  a  name,  or  let  him  do  so,  —  the  first,  Santa 

Claus  March;  the  second,  A  Sad  Story, —  and  so  make  it  seem 

as  big  as  possible  in  his  eyes.     There  are,  fortunately,  many 

dainty  little  pieces  available  for  young  fingers;  and  it  need  not 

be  long  before  Paul  is  treated  to  one  of  these.     Select  one, 

moreover,  which  you  are  certain  is  within  his  ability,  and  teach 

it  with  all  the  attention  to  detail  necessary  for  an  elaborate 

composition.     Let  him  learn  how  it  is  made  up,  phrase  by 

phrase;  where  and  why  its  key  changes;  how  to  put  in  the 

expression,  after  the  notes  are  mastered;  and  how  to  memorize 

it  and  prepare  it  for  performance.     The  process  of  his  study 

of  it,  in  fine,  should  exemplify  the  system  of  obtaining  an  artistic 

mastery  over  any  musical  composition,  and  so  should  serve  as 

a  model  for  future  work. 

A  ver}'  important  personage  has  been  neglected  thus  far, 

namely,  Paul's  mamma;  for  the  extent  to  which  How  to  make  use 

you  can  count  on  her  cooperation  and  support  °^  parents. 

*  See  Wohlfahrt,  Six  Little  Piano  Duels,  from  Op.  87  (Ditson);  Low, 
Tone  Pictures,  Op.  191  (Ditson  Edition  No.  77);  and  Four  Lillle  Hands, 
Edited  by  Heinrich  Kiehl  (Ditson)  a  well  selected  volume. 


48  PIANO   TEACHING 

will,  in  a  large  manner,  determine  the  rate  of  his  progress.  Per- 
haps she  is  so  interested  that  she  will  wish  to  sit  by  and  listen 
to  the  lessons.  This  may  be  a  little  awkward  for  you  at  first, 
but  if  she  is  quiet  and  restrictive  of  her  enthusiasms,  her  con- 
sequent influence  toward  carrjdng  out  your  precepts  may 
become  invaluable.  In  any  case,  however,  you  should  secure 
her  aid  by  making  plain  in  Paul's  memorandum  book  just 
what  and  how  he  is  to  practice.  If  she  is  only  slightly  musical 
herself,  she  can  guard  him  against  hopeless  blunders;  and  if  she 
knows  nothing  about  music,  she  can  see  that  his  practice  is  regu- 
larly performed.  Without  such  help  the  odds  will  be  against 
you  for  a  time;  practice  will  count  for  little  and  progress  will 
be  confined  mostly  to  the  lesson  time.  Lessons,  accordingly, 
should  be  as  frequent  as  possible,  and  any  other  means  for 
supervising  the  work  should  be  welcomed.  Suggest  to  the 
parents  that  they  make  a  contract  with  Paul  in  regard  to  his 
practice.  It  is  genuine  work  to  him,  and  he  should  receive  due 
compensation  for  it.  A  small  pupil  of  mine  who  was  paid  a 
penny  for  each  ten  minutes  of  his  practice  quickly  became  a 
proud  and  reliable  wage-earner;  and  the  habit  thus  gained  bore 
him  safely  through  many  dull  periods  of  his  work. 

Closely  related  to  this  class  of  absolute  beginners  is  that  of 
those  children  who  have  either  taken  a  few  lessons  or  have 
Pupils  who  have  picked  up  somc  information  at  home  or  at  school. 
k^Twie^dgl'or  ^'ou  will,  however,  pursue  the  same  course  with 
'""s'"=-  one  of  these  as  with  the  actual  beginners,  —  start- 

ing from  first  principles  in  order  that  no  holes  in  his  knowledge 
may  be  left  unfilled,  but  expediting  matters,  wherever  possible. 
Work  in  finger  technic  cannot  be  started  too  fundamentally; 
but,  as  some  progress  has  been  made  in  reading,  a  book  slightly 
more  advanced  may  be  chosen,  like  Gurlitt's  Op.  117,  or 
E.  Biehl's  Op.  7,  Book  1. 

No,  I  have  no  desire  to  shut  the  door  of  piano  playing  against 
beginners  of  riper  years,  although  I  cannot  hold  out  the  same 
Beginners  cf  more  golden  hopcs  to  such.  There  are  instances  where 
mature  years.  older  children  have  taken  to  the  subject,  new  to 
them,  with  surprising  instinct,  while  even  beginners  of  mature 


PIANO   TEACHING  49 

years  have  derived  much  pleasure  for  themselves  and  for  their 
friends  from  their  music.  But  it  is  fair  to  add  that  the  lat- 
ter instances,  at  least,  are  few.  Facility  in  associating  musical 
thought  with  the  required  muscular  activities  is  so  difficult  to 
acquire  in  later  life,  and  the  journey  toward  this  is  so  plodding 
and  snail-like  that  the  majority  of  such  enthusiasts  abandon 
the  project  not  far  from  the  starting  point.  Others  may 
attain  the  power  to  perform  somewhat  haltingly,  but  yet 
appreciatively,  the  compositions  they  have  coveted.  In  all 
such  cases  you  will  be  implored  to  pass  over  the  drudgery 
of  technic,  and  otherwise  to  lighten  the  journey.  But  how 
can  you  do  this,  considering  the  fact  that  technic  is  the  one 
thing  which  they  most  need  ?  So  you  must  cajole  them  by 
introducing  all  the  variety  and  attractiveness  possible  into 
the  practice  of  their  scales  and  finger  exercises,  meanwhile 
giving  them  music  which,  though  simple,  is  not  stamped  with 
childishness.  Choose,  for  example,  instead  of  pieces  with  infan- 
tile titles,  like  The  Doll's  First  Waltz,  or  Kitty's  Polka,  some  of 
the  simpler  or  simplified  classics,  or  a  tiny  piece  from  Grieg's 
lyrics. 

And  now  for  the  pupils  who  are  or  consider  themselves  to 
be  "  advanced."     In  this  class  many  mistaught  „       ,    ,      • 

•^  o        Example  of  a  mis- 

pupils  are  sure  to  be  found.      Here  is  your  card  taught  advanced 

containing  a  summary  of  the  accomplishments 

of   one  of  these,  taken  from  her  autobiographical  sketch :  — 


MISS   ETTA    JONES 

AGED    SEVENTEEN 

Has  been  a  pupil  for  four  years  of  Miss  Fitzbang. 
Has  studied  Czerny,   Cramer,  and  Chopin  Etudes. 
Pieces  have  included  GottschaWs  ''Last  Hope,"  Leybach's 
"Fifth  Nocturne,"  Raff's  "Cachoucha,"  and  other  popular 
war  horses.     Has  performed  at  church  fairs  and  lodge  enter- 
tainments.    Is  anxious  "  to  play  like  Paderewski." 


Then  you  test  Etta's  ability  at  the  instrument  and  find  that 
the  scale  of  C  is  a  closed  book  to  her !     Her  specialty  is  noise, 


50  PIANO   TEACHING 

and  this  she  has  exploited  so  effectively  as  to  paralyze  her  friends 
into  the  conviction  that  she  is  a  genius. 

And  this  enchanting  illusion  you  are  called  upon  to  dispel. 
Can  you  do  this  without  being  cast  aside  ruthlessly  as  a  dried-up, 
Method  of  treating  musty  old  pedagoguc  ?  Not  if  you  work  too 
such  a  case.  abruptly.     The  ideals  in  Etta's  mind  must  not 

be  mercilessly  shattered,  but  they  must  be  gradually  and  insen- 
sibl}'^  replaced  by  those  of  a  higher  order;  and  if  she  is  brought 
to  appreciate  these  latter,  you  can  leave  the  education  of  her 
friends  to  her  own  efforts.  Tell  her,  to  start  with,  that  you 
wnll  require  two  or  three  weeks  of  analytical  work  as  a  means 
of  preparation.  If  she  is  really  in  earnest  she  will  not  object 
to  this;  and,  indeed,  she  may  be  attracted  by  the  idea,  as  she 
has  evidently  never  known  what  analytical  work  is.  Then 
back  up  your  statement  by  prescribing  a  liberal  dose  of  finger 
gymnastics  and  scales,  all  to  be  practiced  according  to  the  most 
accurate  adagio  principles.  To  apply  these  principles  further, 
you  give  her  for  the  next  lesson,  in  addition,  a  piece  which  will 
not  seem  a  retrogression  to  her  in  its  reading  difficulties,  and  of 
which  she  is  to  analyze  a  moderate  portion,  perhaps  with  the 
hands  separate.  Poor  Etta  has  never  been  initiated  into  the 
artistic  mysteries  of  rhythm,  melody,  or  phrasing,  and  has  done 
little  with  them  except  to  pummel  them;  so  the  piece  you 
choose  will  be  one  of  straightforward  technic,  like  WoUen- 
haupt's  Etude  in  A\?,  while  you  will  plan  to  unfold  these  other 
subjects  to  her  by  selecting  for  future  use  a  series  of  pieces 
calculated  to  aid  in  your  design. 

I  have  suggested  a  short  piece  rather  than  a  book  of  studies, 
because  you  will  find  it  invariably  to  your  advantage,  in  start- 
ing with  a  pupil  who  is  farther  advanced  than 

Advantage  of  be-  .  „ 

ginning  with  a      the  Very  earliest  grade,  to  assign  at  first  a  composi- 

short  composition.    ,.  i-i  ,  i  ,•  j_ij.i-i- 

tion  which  not  only  seems  pertinent,  but  which  is 
also  in  individual  and  compact  form.  However  careful  your 
examination  of  her  attainments  has  been,  you  are  sure  to 
receive  surprises,  and  sometimes  to  suffer  a  complete  reversal 
of  your  previous  judgment  of  her,  so  that  you  will  be  wise  not 
to  commit  yourself  to  a  given  course  until  the  time  for  such 


PIANO   TEACHING  51 

revelations  has  passed.  Having  finally  diagnosed  your  pa- 
tient's condition,  your  course  of  treatment  can  be  entered  upon 
boldly,  and  a  volume  of  studies  as  bulky  as  you  please  can 
be  introduced. 

There  is  a  class  of  pupils  (may  their  tribe  increase!)  that  bring 
pleasure  to  the  teacher,  not  because  they  possess  more  than  aver- 
age aptitude,  but  because  they  have  been  taught 

...  ,    .  Example  of  a 

With  both  care  and  mtelligence.      ihe  pupils  of   weii-taught 
this  class  as  a  rule  have  not  only  some  capacity   ''"^' ' 
for  work,  but  have  also  been  well  guided  at  home.      A  pleasanter 
experience  than  the  last  awaits  you  with  the  next  card: 


MISS  HELEN  BRIGHT 
AGED  SIXTEEN 

Has  had  lessons  for  three  years  with  Miss  Commonsense. 
Her  technic  has  been  carefully  looked  after.  Studies  have 
been  chosen  for  their  fitness,  from  those  of  a  number  of 
coynposers.  Pieces  have  been  selected  from  the  works  of 
Bach,  Mozart,  Beethoven,  Schubert,  Chopin,  and  modern 
composers. 

Has  been  taught  to  memorize,  and  has  played  at  several 
recitals,  under  the  supervision  of  her  teacher. 


Miss  Bright  does  not  show  signs  of  extraordinary  brilliancy, 
but  she  has  been  well  taught.  Her  scales  are  even  and  clear, 
and  she  plays  for  you  a  Bach  Gavotte  intelligently  Method  of  teach- 
and  unhesitatingly.  You  have  now  to  keep  her  '°^  ^^'^^  ^  p""''- 
on  the  right  track,  introducing  a  few  original  ideas  of  your  own 
and  seeking  out  points  where  she  is  weakest  for  the  exercise 
of  your  advice.  She  must  have  technical  drill,  of  course.  You 
have  noticed  that  her  tone  needs  strengthening,  so  your  medi- 
cine is  chosen  for  its  effects  in  that  direction.  The  composition 
selected  for  her  first  analysis-work  must  still  be  fitted  for  the 
application  of  what  she  is  practicing  in  technic,  but  it  may  be 


52  PIANO   TEACHING 

less  elementary  in  its  phrasing  requirements.  She  has  had  no 
Haydn,  Mendelssohn,  or  Schumann;  perhaps,  therefore,  Haydn's 
Rondo  in  A  major  will  be  adapted  to  her  needs,  this  to  be  fol- 
lOVved  by  pertinent  selections  from  the  works  of  the  other  two. 
These  typical  examples  have  been  cited  to  emphasize  the 
invariable  necessity  of  adapting  your  methods  to  the  exigen- 
cies of  each  case.     Let  us  now  recapitulate  some 

Summary. 

of  our  chief  conclusions.  Your  technical  instruc- 
tions to  a  beginner  should  include  those  concerning  his  position 
at  the  piano,  the  manner  of  holding  his  arms  and  hands,  the 
construction  of  the  keyboard,  the  location  of  the  first-needed 
keys,  the  devices  for  correct  fingering,  and  the  performance  of 
simple  finger  exercises  and  scales.  Meanwhile  notation  should 
be  explained  from  its  simplest  elements  progressively  onward, 
and  each  step  should  be  applied  to  piano  performance.  An 
element  of  variety  may  soon  be  introduced  in  the  form  of  five- 
finger  duets  and  first-grade  pieces.  You  should  not  hesitate, 
either,  to  accept  any  help  from  the  parent  toward  the  regulation 
and  supervision  of  the  practice.  While  pupils  who  have  a  little 
knowledge  of  playing  are  to  be  treated  like  beginners,  with 
some  natural  modifications  of  regime,  pupils  of  wider  experience 
must  be  taught  with  more  variety  of  method.  Victims  of  poor 
teaching  must  be  led  gradually  to  a  change  of  ideals.  Those 
who  have  been  more  fortunate,  however,  are  to  be  pushed 
steadily  ahead,  while  the  teacher  takes  advantage  of  any  oppor- 
tunity for  helpfulness.  Thus  thoroughly  started  on  their  jour- 
ney, our  pupils  will  require  constant  nourishment  in  certain 
well-defined  directions,  which  we  will  now  proceed  to  consider. 


CHAPTER  V 

The  Teaching  of  Technic 

I  HAVE  already  said  that  your  first  care  at  each  lesson  should 
be  to  look  after  the  condition  of  your  pupil's  fingers,  and  to 
adopt  measures  which  shall  tend  to  increase  their  The  regulation 
efficiency.  This  increase  will  be  ideally  regulated  if  °^  ^""^^^  ^^''^'''^■ 
it  exactly  keeps  pace  with  the  pupil's  advancement  in  the  ability 
to  read  and  comprehend  music.  It  is  evident,  moreover,  that 
the  more  consistently  and  naturally  you  lead  him  from  one  step 
to  another  in  the  development  of  his  finger  technic,  the  more 
effective  will  be  the  results.  I  therefore  ask  you  now  to  con- 
sider how  the  various  groups  of  his  technical  work  may  be  most 
logically  arranged  and  applied. 

Piano  technic,  in  its  broadest  sense,  embraces  the  whole 
mechanism  of  performance.  I  shall,  however,  restrict  the  use 
of  the  term  in  the  present  chapter  to  its  more   ^^   ,. 

'■  ^  .      .  The  historical 

usual  meaning,  namely,  that  of  skill  in  the  physi-   development 

,  ,  1  •    1  i  1  of  technic. 

<;ai  movements  which  are  necessary  to  produce 
the  desired  results.  It  would  be  interesting,  if  space  permitted, 
to  trace  the  history  of  such  technic:  to  show  how  the  earl}^ 
pianists  applied  the  resources  of  their  instruments,  light  in  touch 
and  limited  in  compass,  in  the  direction  of  fluent,  delicate  runs 
and  embellishments;  how,  as  the  piano  grew,  double  notes  and 
chords  came  into  use;  and  how  finally,  under  such  giants  as 
Liszt  and  Rubinstein  and  such  poets  as  Chopin  and  Schumann, 
extended  passage  work,  sonorous  harmonies,  singing  melodies, 
and  all  the  modern  effects  of  tone-qualities  and  daring  digital 
flights  were  introduced.  To  fit  a  pupil  to  cope  with  the  extraor- 
dinary difficulties  of  modern  music,  in  which  are  frequently 
united  all  the  effects  which  have  accumulated  during  the  past 
two  centuries,,  is,  on  the  face  of  it,  a  stupendous  task. 

53 


54  PIANO   TEACHING 

What   wonder   is   it,    therefore,    that   many   teachers   have 

directed   their   best  thought  toward    formulating   a    sequence 

,   .  .      ,  of   exercises    to    lead,    step    by    step,   from  the 

Characteristics  of      _  _        _  i  ^  i-; 

various  "  meth-  simplest  beginnings  up  to  full-blown  virtuos- 
ity !  What  wonder  that  many  mechanical  de- 
vices —  finger  exercisers  and  dumb  keyboards  —  should  have 
been  invented  to  act  as  short  cuts  toward  technical  alsility  ! 
From  such  efforts  a  number  of  so-called  "methods"  have 
resulted,  some  based  on  the  above-named  contrivances,  some 
derived  from  practical  teaching  experience,  and  some  formu- 
lated from  scientific  deductions.  An  examination  of  these 
"methods"  shows  that  there  has  been  a  steady  advance 
toward  finally  uniting  the  fruits  of  experience  with  rational 
principles.  The  desirability  of  securing  the  maximum  of  com- 
mand over  tone  combined  with  the  minimum  of  effort,  is  now 
recognized;  and  "power  through  repose"  has  taken  the  place  of 
the  sensational  ravings  of  the  old-time  virtuoso.  The  acquire- 
ment of  a  legato  style  is  avowedly  the  central  feature  of  most 
"methods;"  and  the  conception  of  what  this  style  really  is 
and  how  it  is  best  attained  furnishes  the  chief  points  of  diver- 
gence between  them.  So  we  find  all  manner  of  attitudes  recom- 
mended by  their  respective  advocates,  some  insisting  on  a  high 
stool,  some  on  a  low  one;  some  teaching  to  raise  the  fingers, 
some  to  keep  them  on  the  keys;  some  turning  the  hand  one 
way,  and  some  another. 

You  must  take  care,  therefore,  not  to  stray  in  a  maze  of 
opposing  ideas.  Many  apparent  conflicts  between  different 
Emphasis  of  dif-  experts  really  signify  only  different  phases  of  the 
touch*by  dlffwent  Same  subject,  just  as  the' two  knights  swore  each 
"methods."  ^q  ^]^g  material  of  his  own  side  of  the  shield. 

There  are  many  necessary  phases  of  the  legato  touch,  —  the 
plain  legato,  the  overlapping  legato,  and  various  modifications 
of  these,  each  of  them  adapted  to  certain  demands  of  musical 
expression;  so  that  the  intelligent  teacher,  while  basing  his 
instructions  on  the  phase  which  seems  most  universal,  will  have 
other  kinds  of  touch  at  his  command,  and  will  understand  how 
to  employ  them  when  needed. 


PIANO   TEACHING  •>•> 

I  trust  that  your  iMuno  education  has  inchuled  the  study 
either  of  one  of  the  l)est  of  these  "metliods,"  or,  at  any  rate, 
of  a  consistent  and  efficient  course  of  finger  gym-  .,        »     , .  , . 

o        o.;  Necessity  of  hold- 

nastics.     If  such  is  the  case,  and  if  you  are  con-  ing  to  a  logical 

,    , ,      ,  ,  f    i.      I      •       •  1       •       I  system  of  technic. 

vinced  that  3'our  system  ot  technic  is  a  logical 
one,  I  should  advise  you  to  hold  firmly  to  it,  and  not  Hghtly 
to  throw  it  over  for  any  fashionable  "method"  that  may  come 
up.  I  have  known  teachers  who  began  nearly  every  autumn 
with  a  brand-new  "method,"  which  they  had  imbibed  during 
the  summer  as  the  latest  fashion  in  piano  playing  and  which 
was  quite  at  variance  with  that  formerly  taught  by  them. 
Such  a  course  means  a  constant  overturn  for  both  yourself  and 
your  pupils,  with  no  adequate  time  for  rebuilding.  Yet  I  would 
not  advocate  a  slavish  adherence  to  any  one's  "method, "  Hav- 
ing adopted  a  system  on  which  to  base  your  teaching,  keep 
your  eyes  constantly  open  to  new  ideas  and  be  ready  to  graft 
them  upon  your  plans  of  work,  whenever  they  seem  useful. 
Thus  your  own  method  should,  in  time,  represent  what  has 
proven  itself  best  to  you  from  the  experiences  of  many  others, 
and  may  finally  be  quite  a  different  creation  from  that  with 
which  you  started. 

Shall  you  avow  your  preference  by  any  distinct  label  ?     Shall 
your   cards   read    "Miss   Grant,    Teacher   of   the   Virtuowski 
Method"  ?     If  this  be  a  popular  "method"  of  the  How  far  the 
day,  such  a  course  may  prove  an  attraction  to  teacher  should 

.  ,  assert  a  prefer- 

some  pupils.  And  yet,  unless  you  intend  to  be-  ence  for  any 
come  a  mere  slavish  imitator  of  the  distin- 
guished teacher  in  whose  footsteps  you  follow,  unless  you 
intend  to  shut  your  eyes  willfully  to  all  merits  and  helps  in 
other  systems  of  procedure,  you  will  resolve,  mentally  at  least, 
to  keep  that  independence  which  is  your  birthright,  and  to 
modify  such  "method"  as  you  deem  it  expedient.  Would  it 
not  therefore  be  better  to  announce  "Miss  Grant,  Teacher  of 
the  Principles  of  the  Virtuowski  Method"?  Or,  better  still, 
is  it  not  well  to  say  nothing  whatever  on  the  subject,  leaving 
the  matter  to  be  explained  to  your  patrons,  if  they  inquire 
about  it?     If  you  have  to  deal  with  any  of  the  people  who 


56  PIANO   TEACHING 

clamor  for  a  specially  tagged  "method"  and  who  look  with 
contempt  upon  any  teacher  who  cannot  present  such  creden- 
tials, tell  them  that  your  method  is  the  "Method  of  Common- 
sense."  If  that  is  not  good  enough  for  them,  they  must  be 
beyond  all  human  help. 

There  is  at  present,  indeed,  a  prevailing  rage  for  technic, 
which  has  caused  the  pendulum  to  swing  far  in  the  direction 
The  real  end  of  of  the  merely  mechanical  side  of  music.  And  in 
techmc.  drawing  attention  to   this  fact  I  am  not  at  all 

disparaging  the  evident  advance  in  accurate  and  enlightened 
teaching  which  has  taken  place  within  the  past  quarter  of  a 
century,  but  I  am  simply  warning  you  against  an  enthusiasm 
for  technic  which  elevates  it  to  the  position  of  the  chief  end 
sought.  "Technic,"  says  Christiani,*  "should  not  seek  to  shine 
by  itself,  and  least  of  all  give  the  impression  of  being  the  per- 
former's strongest  point."  Let  your  first  care,  therefore,  be  to 
prepare  your  pupil's  fingers  to  meet  the  demands  that  are  to  be 
put  upon  them ;  but  meanwhile  remember  that  all  this  prepara- 
tion is  but  a  means  to  an  end,  and  that  it  should  be  only  an 
aid  toward  achieving  the  ultimate  object,  which  is  the  power 
of  expressing  musical  thought. 

The  technical  exercises  which  you  give  your  pupil  should  con- 
sequently be  chosen  both  for  their  gymnastic  value  and  for  their 
ffheef  availability  for  use  in  actual  musical  perform- 
ficiency  of  a  tech-  ance.     Qucer  and  exceptional  finger-  and  hand- 

nical  exercise.  ,       ,  •  ^  i       1 1 

contortions,  however  much  they  may  exercise 
the  muscles,  should  be  avoided.  For  instance,  many  of  the 
popular  "stunts,"  such  as  lapping  the  fingers  over  one  another 
or  bending  them  from  the  first  joint,  might  be  positively 
injurious.  So  the  worth  of  an  exercise  will  be  augmented 
according  to  the  frequency  of  its  application  and  its  efficiency 
in  coping  with  some  recurring  and  normal  difficulty.  Thus 
exercises  for  putting  the  thumb  under  the  hand  are  valuable 
because  such  positions  are  constantly  in  use  while  playing 
scales  and  arpeggios. 

Another  important  test  of  a  technical  exercise  is  its  simplicity. 
*  Principles  of  Expression  in  Piano  Playing. 


PIANO   TEACHING 


67 


In  practicing  finger  exercises  the  pupil  should  be  able  to  put 
his  entire  thought  upon  how  his  fingers  are  moving  and  what 
effects  they  produce.  Thus,  the  technical  figure  should  be  so 
slight  in  construction  that  he  may  memorize  it  in  a  vaiue  of  simpiic- 
twinkling,  and  may  afterwards  pay  no  attention  "^  '"^  exercises, 
whatever  to  the  question  of  what  notes  he  is  to  strike.  A  slow 
trill,  for  instance,  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  exercises  in  exist- 
ence on  account  of  its  absolute  simplicity. 

Whether  or  not  you  are  a  devotee  of  any  particular  "method," 
it  is  well  for  you  to  have  a  systematized  catalogue  of  the  techni- 
cal devices  which  you  are  to  use  with  pupils.  I  systematized  lists 
will  therefore  suggest  the  basis  on  which  such  a  °^  e^e^-^'ses- 
list  is  to  be  compiled,  without  reference  to  the  application  of  the 
exercises  to  the  different  kinds  of  touch,  since  such  application 
depends  chiefly  on  the  particular  school  of  technic  which  you 
have  adopted. 

The  groundwork  of  your  list  must  consist  of  a  series  of  little 
technical  figures,  chosen,  as  suggested  above,  mainly  to  antici- 
pate certain  common  difficulties.  In  it,  therefore.  Division  of 
are  found  fragments  of  embellishments,  of  scales,  ^^^^  gymnastics. 
and  of  arpeggios,  which,  if  mastered,  will  facilitate  the  rendition 
of  the  entire  runs  from  which  they  are  taken.  Various  names 
are  given  these  exercises,  such  as  "five-finger  exercises,"  and 
"finger  work."      I  shall  refer  to  them  as  finger  gymnastics. 

Let  us  now  see  how  these  may  still  further  be  classified. 
First,  there  are  exercises  in  which  the  fingers  are  retained  in 
their  most  normal  position,  over  the  first  five  notes  Exercises  with 
of  the  scale.  In  this  position  they  are  primarily  jolnfng  keys  of" 
employed  in  individual  motions.  Next,  the  depres-  *^®  diatomc  scale, 
sion  of  one  key  may  be  followed  by  that  of  the  adjoining  key, 
as  in  the  slow  trill;  and  finally  it  may  be  followed  by  that  of  a 
remoter  key,  so  that  eventually  the  fingers  succeed  each  other 
without  distinction  as  to  their  distance  apart,  as  in  this  exercise: 


5      2      4      3      1       S      3 


14      2      3      5      14 


68 


PIANO   TEACHING 


The  next  step  lies  in  note  combinations.  Two,  three,  or 
even  four  notes  may  be  sounded  simultaneously,  as  in  the 
following  : 


i 


1         3 


or  one  or  more  notes  may  be  sustained  while  others  are  sounded. 

Exercises  dealing  with  this  normal  position  are  followed  by 

,     those  in  which  the  hand  is  either  contracted  or 

Contraction  and  i        r  i         /> 

ejEpansion  exer-     expanded.      Of   the  former,  the  first  would  be 
naturally  conducted  with   the  fingers  over  the 
keys  pertaining  to  the  chromatic  scale,  thus: 


in  which  position  exercises  similar  to  those  already  suggested 
are  performed.  Still  further  contractions,  while  possible,  are 
not  so  usual,  excepting  those  which  relate  to  passing  the  thumb 
under,  which  are  of  special  importance. 

Expansion  exercises  have  a  much  wider  scope.  First  come 
those  involving  a  lateral  movement  of  the  fingers,  in  which  these 
alternately  approach  and  recede  from  each  other,  as  in  this  one  : 


and  then  follow  those  in  which  the  fingers,  placed  each  over  the 
note  of  some  important  chord,  perform  evolutions  similar  to 


PIANO   TEACHING  59 

those  first  discussed.  The  chords  of  the  dominant  and  dimin- 
ished sevenths  are  best  adapted  for  these  on  account  of  their 
frequent  appHcation;  and  of  these  the  diminished  seventh  is  by 
far  the  most  useful,  since  in  playing  it  the  fingers  are  practically 
all  at  the  same  distance  apart.  Greater  hand-extensions  may 
follow,  such  as  those  in  which  the  thumb  and  fifth  fingers  are 
a  tenth  apart.  When,  however,  these  necessitate  skips,  the 
domain  of  the  strict  legato  is  transcended,  and  there  is  danger 
of  incursions  into  the  realms  of  the  extraordinary. 

We  have  many  exercises,  however,  in  which  beneficial  com- 
binations of  the  above  classes  are  made,  such,  for  instance, 
as  the  alternate  expansion  and  contraction  exer-  combination  ex- 
cises alluded  to;  and  these  combinations,  indeed,  ^'■'^'^^^• 
may  be  listed  as  especially  valuable,  since  an  undue  emphasis 
of  one  variety  of  exercise  is  apt  to  unfit  one  for  the  others. 
An  exclusive  practice  of  scale  positions,  for  instance,  makes  the 
playing  of  arpeggios  seem  awkward. 

I  would  particularly  urge  you,  however,  to  teach  j^our  pupils 
to  practice  all  this  five-finger  work  in  every  available  key. 
With  or  without  a  slight  modulating  figure,  the  .    ,.    . 

^  o       o         7  Application  of  ex- 

pupil  may  pass  readily  from  one  scale  to  another,  ercises  to  aii  keys 

,,..".,,.  ,  ,  .,.,.     and  registers. 

obtammg  m  this  way  not  only  variety  in  his 
practice,  but  an  infinitely  more  extensive  acquaintance  with  his 
musical  material.  Some  pupils  become  so  glued  to  the  position 
on  the  scale  of  C  that  any  other  attitudes  are  bugbears  to  them. 
Whatever  exercises  the  pupil  practices,  therefore,  let  him  give 
them  the  widest  possible  application,  making  equal  friends  with 
each  scale  and  each  register  of  the  keyboard. 

Toward  the  attainment  of  this  broad  outlook  the  second  divi- 
sion of  our  subject,  namely,  that  of  scale  practice,  is  an  invalu- 
able adjunct.     Representing,  as  they  do,  the  very  ^j^^  ^^^j  ^^^^^_ 
alphabet  of  music,  the  scales  have  an  importance  cance  of  scale 
in  practice  which  can  hardly  be  overestimated. 
Indeed,  when  a  pupil  is  able  to  play  all  of  the  common  scales 
with  equal  clearness  and  facility,  he  may  be  considered  to  be 
well  on  the'  road  toward  pianistic  ability.     And  a  mastery  over 
the  scales  means  not  simply  the  ability  to  play  them  straight  up 


60  PIANq_  TEACHING 

and  down  with  the  hands  an  octave  apart,  but  also  a  readiness 
to  perform  them  in  all  sorts  of  combinations,  rates,  rhj^thms, 
and  touches.  By  teaching  these  different  modes  of  practice 
you  will  introduce  interest  and  variety  into  what  would  other- 
wise be  an  insufferably  dull  routine. 

You  will  begin,  naturally,  with  the  major  scales,  and  will 

dwell  upon  these  until  they  are  thoroughly  under  the  fingers. 

At  first,  they  are  taught  in  the  order  of  signatures: 

Method  of  pre-  i        •  •  i  i  i         i  ■ 

senting  the  major  but  this  Order  is  quickly  replaced  by  the  chromatic 
sequence  of  keys,  which  will  break  up  the  depend- 
ence of  each  upon  the  one  preceding.  It  is  well  also  to  teach 
your  pupil  to  begin  and  end  the  scales  at  the  top  just  as  often 
as  he  plays  them  from  the  lower  end,  in  order  that  he  may  con- 
ceive them  as  readily  in  one  direction  as  in  the  other.  In  first 
presenting  the  scales  to  him,  you  will  explain  how  each  sharp 
and  each  flat  scale  is  derived  from  the  one  before,  and  will  induce 
him  to  trace  them  out  originally  by  himself,  according  to  your 
formulae.  As  to  fingering,  the  scales  should  be  grouped  into 
comprehensive  divisions,  and  each  scale  should  be  treated  invari- 
ably with  the  same  fingers  on  the  same  notes,  except  where  the 
fifth  or  fourth  finger  is  substituted  for  the  thumb  in  those  scales 
which  begin  on  white  keys.  For  insertion  in  the  pupil's  memo- 
randum book  you  may  employ  the  following  summary: 

MAJOR  SCALES 

Order  of  Intervals:  Whole,  whole,  half,  whole,  whole,  whole, 
half-step. 

NATURAL  SCALE,  —  C 
SHARP    SCALES 

Formula:  Each  a  fifth  above  the  preceding;  new  sharp  on  the 
seventh. 

Order  of  scales:        12         3         4         5 
G       D       A        E       B 

Order  of  sharps:      F       C        G       D        A 

Fingering  for  two  octaves:  1  2  3,  1  2  3  4,  1  2  3,  1  2  3  4  5 
(Right  hand  ascends  left  to  right,  left  hand  ascends  right  to  left.) 

Exception,  left  hand  of  B:  4  3  21,4321,321,4321 


Fingering . 


PIANO  TEACHING  61 

FLAT    SCALES 

Formula:  Each  a  fourth  above  the  preceding;  new  flat  on 
the  fourth. 

Order  of  scales:        12         3         4         5         6 
F        Bl^      Eb      Ab      Db     Gt' 

Order  of  flats:  B        E        A        D       G        C 

Right  —  fourth  always  on  B  flat. 

f  F,  like  C 
Left    B,^  E,^  A,!'  D>:  —  3  2  1,  4  3  2  1,  3  __ 
Ig'':  — 4321,321,4 

It  remains  now  for  me  to  outline  a  course  of  scale  study 
which  will  embrace  the  most  useful  modes  of  treatment,  leaving 
the  amplification  of  them  to  your  own  ingenuity,  outline  course  of 
Each  variety  may  be  employed  at  will  to  illustrate  ®'^^'®  ^'"'*^- 
the  kinds  of  touch  under  consideration,  and  may  also,  except 
where  otherwise  stated,  be  practiced  at  any  desired  speed  or 
tone  power.  Combinations  of  touch — light  in  one  hand,  heavy 
in  the  other,  or  legato  in  one  hand  and  staccato  in  the  other  — 
are  also  effective  factors.  Much  stress  should  be  placed  upon 
one-hand  practice,  since  in  this  each  hand  must  stand  solely 
upon  its  own  merits,  without  the  danger  of  having  its  deficiencies 
covered  up  by  the  work  of  the  other  hand. 

The  single-octave  scale  study  by  beginners  has  already  been 
outlined  (page  44).  After  this  process  has  been  followed  out, 
scale  practice  begins  in  earnest  by  the  slow  analy-  scales  with  the 
sis  of  each  scale  for  two  octaves,  with  the  hands  ^^'^'^^  separate, 
separate.  Next,  each  hand  plays  up  four  octaves  at  the  slow 
rate,  and  down,  fluently,  at  about  twice  the  rate  of  ascen- 
sion. Reverse  this  process,  by  playing  down  slowly  and  up 
faster.  A  useful  supplementary  drill  consists  in  comparing  the 
work  of  the  two  hands  directly  by  playing  in  the  more  rapid 
tempo  one  up  and  the  other  down,  in  immediate  alternation. 

We  now  begin  to  unite  the  hands  by  playing  the  scales  a 
single  octave  with  hands  together,  starting  slowly  . 

and  increasing  the  speed  until  a  tempo  as  rapid  the  hands  te- 
as is  consistent  with  clearness  is  reached.     This 
is  done  first  in  parallel,  and  then  in  contrary  motion. 


62 


PIANO   TEACHING 


Making  use  of  the  material  thus  exploited,  the  pupil  now 

begins  far  down  on  the  keyboard,  and  plays  up  one  octave  in 

])arallel  motion,  then  separates  and  approaches 

Combinations  of 

parallel  and  con-  the  hauds  for  au  octave,  then  plays  up  another 
trary  mo  ion.  Qctave  iu  parallel  motion,  and  so  on,  till  he  reaches 
the  toil  of  the  fourth  octave,  when  he  descends  straight  to  the 
starting-point.  This  device  is  then  reversed,  commencing  at 
the  top.  The  next  scheme  is  to  play  up  two  octaves 
in  parallel  motion,  then  to  separate  and  approach  for  two 
octaves,  then  to  ascend  two  octaves,  and  finally  to  descend 
four  octaves. 

A  series  of  rhythmic  scales  is  next  in  order.  First,  beginning 
at  the  bottom,  the  right  hand  plays  two  notes  to  one  in  the 
Rhythmic  scale  Icft,  SO  that  it  asceuds  four  octaves  while  the  left 
practice.  plays  two.     This  formula  is  reversed  by  beginning 

at  the  top,  and  playing  four  octaves  in  the  left  to  two  in  the 
right.  Similarly,  one  hand  may  play  three  and  then  four  notes 
to  one  note  in  the  other;  while  cross  rhythms,  —  three  in  one 
hand  to  two  in  the  other,  and  four  in  one  hand  to  three  in  the 
other, — may  follow  these.  As  the  last-named  scales  present- 
peculiar  difficulties,  their  chscussion  is  reserved  for  a  later 
chapter  (page  76). 

Up  to  this  point,  the  scales,  when  employed  in  parallel 
motion,  have  been  practiced  with  the  hands  an  octave  apart. 
Scales  in  canon  An  introduction  to  the  use  of  other  intervals  is 
*°'™-  now  afforded  by  playing  in  caiion  form.     Leading 

to  this,  the  single-octave  scale  is  at  first  played  as  before  several 
times  without  stopping,  and  then  this  exact  process  is  repeated, 
this  time,  however,  with  the  right  hand  two  notes  ahead  of  the 
left,  as  follows: 


R^ 

-r— *^ 

f— 

4     5 

1  rprVi  I'l  ii 

fM^ 

■1  rm 

_  1     3 

1  r  1   1  -_i 

a    1     „ 

P^ 

=^ 

^  *  * 

'^JJj  1  ij= 

yTJ'*'  *^^ 

JJj]  r^JJ^ 

if     ^» ' 

,r-^f^^ 

it*  - 

etc. 

./  \j 

-♦ — «-= 

5 

-Tti 

I     3 

'— sW' 

^ 

J  ^^^.  1 

HW 

^=^ 

PIANO  TEACHING^ 


63 


The  scale  is  then  lengthened  by  playing  it  one,  two,  three, 
and  four  octaves  respectively,  with  the  right  hand  invariably 
leading,  thus: 


ri  n  -TTTn  I  'i  ''i   ,  '.  Yf  r  p  y  I  !  -  '  -  !  *  r-r~r 


^ 

— ^*- 

—\ — 

^  v-T-n  1 

1 — 1 — 

.-tH^ 

-^^^ 

1  rir  r 

hj:     1 [      1      1     -    ,    »    F 

C-  1    1    i    " 

•     1"      « 

1 

3 

^  ^  r  1  1  ^=^ 

— I— 

3 

'""T^^^J 

"  r  I  ' 

^4^ 

The  reversal  of  the  entire  exercise  follows,  with  the  left,  instead 
of  the  right,  in  advance. 

Your  pupil  is  now  prepared  for  a  drill  upon  the  scales  played 
entirely  in  thirds  and  sixths.  Even  after  your  careful  pre- 
liminary work,  however,  his  equilibrium  is  apt  scales  in  thirds 
to  be  disturbed  as  he  attempts  to  start  with  one  ^'^^  ^^^^^ 
hand  on  the  third  of  the  scale  while  the  other  begins  on  the 
first.  Foreseeing  this  trouble,  therefore,  you  will  be  wise  to 
require  him  to  put  each  scale  rigidl}^  through  the  following  for- 
mula?, until  the  proper  fingering  is  instilled  into  his  mind: 

FORMULA  FOR  SCALES  IN  THIRDS 

1.  Left  hand,  two  octaves. 

2.  Right  hand,  same  two  octaves. 

3.  Right  hand,  three  notes. 

4.  Right  hand,  two  octaves,  from  third  note. 

5.  Numbers  1  and  4  together. 


64  PIANO   TEACHING 

FORMULA   FOR  SCALES  IN   SIXTHS 

1.  Right  hand,  two  octaves. 

2.  Left  hand,  two  octaves,  beginning  an  octave  lower. 

3.  Left  hand,  three  notes. 

4.  Left  hand,  two  octaves,  from  third  note. 

5.  Numbers  1  and  4  together. 

Having  gained  this  experience,  he  may  now  play  the  scales  for 
the  number  of  octaves  and  at  the  rate  of  speed  which  you 
prescribe. 

After  the  major  scales  have  been  thus  canvassed,  you  pro- 
ceed to  treat  of  the  minors.  The  signature  relationship  be- 
Tabie  of  minor  tween  the  major  and  minor  scales  should  be 
scales.  pointed  out,  and  the  pupil  should  be  led  to  find 

the  minor  scale  relative  to  each  major  by  counting  down 
three  half-steps  from  the  keynote  of  the  latter.  In  this  way 
the  following  table  is  compiled : 


Major 

Minor 

C      Natural 

a 

G      1  sharp 

e 

D      2  sharps 

b 

A      3  sharps 

f^ 

E      4  sharps 

c^ 

B      5  sharps 

g^ 

Major 

Minor 

F        1  flat 

d 

Bb      2  flats 

g 

E\?      3  flats 

c 

A\>      4  flats 

f 

D\>      5  flats 

hb 

Gb      6  flats 

e\? 

You  should  also  show  the  difference  in  formation  between 
the  harmonic,  melodic,  and  mixed  forms  of  the  minors,  and 
Practice  of  the  decide  upou  the  form  for  immediate  study.  If 
minor  scales.  y^^  choose  the  mixed  form,  as  I  should  advise  on 
account  of  its  more  extensive  application,  you  will  write  out, 
or  have  your  pupil  write  out,  the  first  scale  with  its  fingering, 
and  will  follow  this  by  the  others  in  the  order  of  their  signatures, 
making  this  process  initiate  a  course  of  practice  which  shall  pur- 
sue that  prescribed  for  the  major  scales,  and  which  should  result 
in  an  equal  facility  in  all  the  styles  suggested.  After  this  has 
been  attained,  the  course  of  practice  with  the  metronome, 
described  in  the  next  chapter  (page  72)  will  solidify  and  accel- 
erate the  entire  series  of  scales,  giving  them  at  the  same  time 
rhythmical  accuracy. 


PIANO  TEACHING  65 

At  an  early  period  in  the  scale-practice  the  chromatic  scale 
should  be  introduced,  and  should  be  practiced  with  at  least  two 
varieties  of  fin^-eriu^s  throughout  the  entire  [)iano  Practice  of  the 
compass,  in   the  intervals  of  the  octave,  major  oth°eTforms''ol^" 
and  minor  thirds,  and  major  and  minor  sixths.  ^"^^'^  practice. 
I   should   not   complete   the   summary  of   scale-practice  with- 
out emphasizing  the  study  of  all  scales  in  double  thirds  and 
sixths,  since  no  more  thorough  or  searching  technical  drill  than 
this  exists.     Practice  of  the  scales  in  varied  rhythmic  groupings, 
such  as  are  produced  by  alternating  dotted  eighths  and  six- 
teenths, is  invaluable.   Also,  the  principles  of  melodic  expression 
may  be  emphasized  by  rendering  the  scales  in  phrases  of  two 
or  more  notes,  and  with  shadings  of  piano  and  forte. 

The  third  division  of  technical  work  is  devoted  to  the  study 
of  octaves,  chords,  and  arpeggios.  Exercises  upon  octaves  con- 
sist of  the  consideration  of  different  touches  and  _.  .  . 

,     .  ,.  ,  „  Division  of  oc- 

their  application  to  different  rates  of  movement,  taves,  chords,  and 
These  are  used  in  exercises  upon  individual  notes,  ^''p®^^'°^" 
in  scald  passages,   and  in  skips.     Broken  octaves  and  octaves 
in  alternating  hands  also  come  under  this  head. 

Chords  and  their  resolution  into  arpeggios  present  material 
both  of  practical  value  and  of  great  possibilities  of  variety. 
Most  useful  for  technical  drill  are  the  major  and  Exercises  based 
minor  triads,  and  the  dominant  and  diminished  mon  triads, 
sevenths,  with  one  or  two  other  seventh  chords.  You  will 
begin  by  work  upon  the  six  positions  of  the  common 
chord: 


In  order  to  acquire  confidence  and  surety  of  fingering,  the  pupil 
should  sound  these  combinations  many  times  definitely  and 
clearly  in  each  scale,  ascending  chromatically.  Next,  the  four 
notes  of  each  chord  may  be  broken  up  into  pairs,  which  are 
sounded    alternately,   and   combinations  of  three  notes    with 


66 


PIANO   TEACHING 


one  may  be  similarly  used.     The  chords  will  then  be  resolved 
into  arpeggio  figures,  such  as  the  following: 


Long  arpeggios  follow,  made  of  the  same  material  and  treated 
in  varying  rhythms  and  in  varying  styles,  such  as  parallel  and 
contrary  motion. 

Similar  work  applied  to  chords  of  the  seventh  is  of  even 
greater  value  since  it  involves  the  continual  use  of  all  the  fin- 
gers.   The  chords  of  the  dominant  and  diminished 

Exercises  upon 

chords  of  the        scvcuths  havc  already  been  cited  as  of  especial 
importance,  and  to  these  may  be  added  other 
positions,  as  in  the  following  list: 

Dominant        Diminislied       Donnnanf 
Si'Vviiih  Srvt'nlli  Seventh 


Fmaj   V7  GminVlIj  Db  maj  V7        C  mm  11^      C  maj  VI- 


The  divisions  of  technical  work  which  I  have  thus  far  enu- 
merated have  included  most  of  the  legitimate  material  necessary 
Exceptional  exer-  for  the  wcll-equippcd  pianist.  Outside  these  strict 
"^®®*  boundaries,  however,  lie  exercises  adapted  to  ex- 

ceptional situations,  and  to  distinctively  modern  and  experi- 
mental effects,  such  as  long  reaches,  skips,  and  alternating  and 
interlocking  hand  work.  Many  of  these  may  be  found  in  the 
published  works  of  modern  masters  of  technical  teaching,  like 
Philipp  and  Joseffy,  while  many  may  be  studied  best  by  adapting 
difficult  passages  in  actual  compositions  into  special  technical 
exercises.  A  book  compiled  on  this  basis.  From  Bach  to  Chopin, 
by  Clayton  Johns  (Ditson  edition,  No.  109),  illustrates  the  prac- 
tical bearing  of  such  work. 

Our  list  of  technical  devices  would  not  be  complete  without 
reference  to  exercises  for  the  correct  use  of  the  pedals,  the  neces- 


PIANO   TEACHING  67 

sity  for  which  is  evident  from  the  variety  of  uses  to  which 
the  pedals  are  put  by  modern  pianists.  Your  first  care  must 
be  to  see  that,   while   the   pedal   movement   is   „  ,  . 

Pedal  technic. 

prompt  and  definite,  it  is  noiseless,  and  thus  free 
from  the  cracking  sound  which  often  results  from  a  too  vigorous 
application  of  foot  power.  Then,  impress  upon  your  pupil  the 
fact  that  the  damper  pedal  is  a  good  servant  but  a  bad  master. 
Let  him  carr}^  out  your  exercises,  keeping  his  ear  constantly  on 
the  alert  to  appreciate  the  necessity  for  putting  down  the  pedal 
nearly  alwaj-s  after  the  note  it  is  to  sustain,  and  to  detect  any 
blurring  of  tones  caused  by  a  too  prolonged  depression.  The 
possibilities  of  color  effects  which  lie  in  the  use  of  the  soft 
pedal  and  in  the  manipulation  of  both  pedals  in  cooperation,  I 
shall  refer  to  in  a  later  chapter  (page  101).  The  indefinite  and 
often  inaccurate  directions  for  pedal  use  found  in  most  piano 
music  make  it  necessary  for  you  to  revise  them  upon  a  clearer 
basis.     For  this  purpose  I  advise  the  adoption,  in  connection 

with  the  damper   pedal,    of  the    sign    I |,  the   dowTi- 

stroke  denoting  the  depression  of  the  pedal,  the  horizontal 
line  its  continuance,  and  the  up-stroke  its  removal,  thus: 


For  the  soft  pedal,  the  usual  signs   una  corda  (u.  c.)  and  tre 
corde  {t.  c.)  seem  sufficiently  comprehensible. 

While  I  have  suggested  a  continuous  course  for  each  division 
of  technical  work,  3'ou  of  course  understand  that  no  one  kind 
is  to  be  dwelt  upon  for  a  long  time,  to  the  cxclu-  variety  in  tech- 
sion  of  the  others.  Occasionally,  if  the  pupil  evi-  °"^^'  practice, 
dently  needs  the  drill,  two  kinds  of  technical  work  can  be  given 
him  conjointly,  in  homeopathic  doses,  such  as  a  short  exercise 
for  finger  gymnastics  and  a  few  scales;  but  it  is  better,  in  gene- 
ral, to  work  along  one  line  for  several  lessons,  and  then  to  induce 
variety  by  changing  off  to  another.  When  the  first  species  is 
again  taken  up,  you  will  resume  at  the  point  where  you  left  off. 


68  PIANO   TEACHING 

A  subject  closely  interwoven  with  that  of  technic  is  that  of 
fingering,  by  which  is  meant  the  use  of  the  correct  fingers  upon 
Attitude  of  the  the  kcys  involvcd  in  musical  progressions.  An 
thVmltte^oi  6n-  important  duty  is  to  see  that  your  pupil  uses  the 
germg.  fingcrs,  so  far  as  possible,  best  adapted  for  express- 

ing each  shade  of  the  musical  thought  under  consideration. 
You  have  as  an  aid  the  many  excellent  fingered  editions  avail- 
able; but  it  is  not  enough  to  rely  wholly  upon  these:  you  should 
apply  your  own  judgment  as  a  test  of  their  merits;  should  play 
over  any  doubtful  passages  to  ascertain  if  you  can  improve 
upon  the  fingering  given;  and  should  decide  whether  the  fingering 
which  most  commends  itself  to  you  is  best  for  the  particular 
pupil  who  is  to  use  it. 

Two  systems  of  fingering  have  had  their  adherents  among 
prominent  piano  pedagogues.  The  first,  championed  by  Kohler 
How  far  to  foi-  and  othcrs  of  his  school,  prescribed  that  the  hand- 
sylte^ms^o"  fin-  positiou  should  be  kept  as  immovable  as  possible; 
gering.  while   the   other,   advocated   by   Liszt   and   von 

Billow,  went  to  the  other  extreme,  changing  the  position  almost 
constantly.  As  usual,  the  middle  ground  is  a  safe  place  of 
refuge;  so  that  you  will  make  no  mistake  in  adopting  a  form 
of  fingering  whic^^does  not  needlessly  or  arbitrarily  jump  the 
hand  about,  but  which  also  does  not  hesitate  to  assume  any 
position  or  take  any  fingers  which  evidently  facilitate  the  desired 
effect.  To  change  the  fingers  when  the  same  note  is  sounded 
a  number  of  times  in  quick  succession;  to  unify,  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, the  fingering  of  scales  and  arpeggios,  and  to  sound  the 
black  keys  with  the  three  middle  fingers,  are  sensible  ideas  from 
which  to  start.  But  all  of  these  can  be  disregarded  wherever 
common  sense  prescribes  alterations.* 

Whether  or  not  you  intend  to  follow  any  labeled  technical 
"method,"  therefore,  you  must  have  at  the  outset  a  systema- 
tized scheme  of  exercises.     These  will  be  listed 

Summary. 

under   three  principal  heads,  finger  gymnastics, 
scales,   and  arpeggios.     Finger    gymnastics    include    technical 

*For  a  fuller  discussion  of  the  subject  of  fingering  see  Clayton  Johns' 
The  Essentials  of  Pianoforte  Playing,   Part  Ten. 


PIANO   TEACHING  69 

figures  played  in  all  keys,  with  the  hand  in  its  most  normal 
position,  and  with  contractions  and  expansions  of  this.  Scale 
practice  includes  the  treatment,  with  various  touches  and  at 
varied  rates,  of  the  major,  minor,  and  chromatic  scales,  with 
the  hands  separate  and  together.  Parallel  and  contrary  motion 
may  be  employed,  the  former  with  the  hands  at  different  inter- 
vals apart.  Double-note  scales,  following  these,  are  of  special 
importance.  Octaves,  chords,  and  arpeggios  are  also  to  be 
treated  in  various  manners.  Exercises  upon  the  common  triads 
and  upon  some  of  the  chords  of  the  seventh  are  to  be  extended 
until  fluency  is  gained  in  long,  sweeping  arpeggios.  Uses  of  the 
pedal  should  also  receive  careful  attention.  Modern  devices 
of  technic  can  be  gleaned  from  the  works  of  modern  technicians 
and  by  the  invention  of  figures  directly  from  musical  works. 
Finally,  problems  regarding  fingering  are  to  be  solved  upon 
certain  general  principles,  which  are  to  be  treated,  however,  as 
aids  rather  than  as  restrictions. 


CHAPTER  VI 

The  Teaching  of  the   Rhythmic   Element 

In  order  to  apply  his  technical  skill  toward  its  avowed  end, 

namely,  the  interpretation  of  musical  thought,  the  pupil  must 

first  become  master  of  the  various  elements  which 

The  three  ele- 
ments involved  in  go  to  make  up  the  musical  composition.  He  must 
in  erpre  a  ion.  gj-jjgp  d^q  substancc  out  of  which  the  whole  struc- 
ture is  modeled,  namely,  the  harmony,  and  he  must  render  this 
plastic  to  receive  the  graceful  outlines  imposed  upon  it  by  the 
melody.  With  these  two  elements  alone  developed,  however, 
the  music  resembles  a  marble  statue  which,  like  Pygmalion's 
Galatea,  awaits  the  divinely-sent  breath  to  transform  it  into 
a  living  being.  Endowed  w4th  life,  the  blood  courses  through 
the  veins  of  the  new  creation,  and  the  heart  begins  to  beat  in 
regular  pulsations,  —  to  become  vital  through  the  element  of 
rhythm. 

In  the  practical  process  of  teaching  a  composition  it  is  neces- 
sary that  these  three  elements  develop  simultaneously,  since 
they  each  constitute  an  integral  and  necessary 

Importance  of  "^  0.7 

comprehension  of   part  of  the  wholc.     Inasmuch,  however,  as  the 

time-values.  1  j  c   1  111 

elements  or  harmony  and  melody  are  more  tan- 
gible than  that  of  rhythm,  since  they  are  more  definitely  pre- 
sented to  the  eye  and  grasped  by  the  fingers,  it  is  necessary  for 
you  to  take  special  pains  in  order  to  give  the  pupil  control  over 
the  intricacies  and  subtleties  of  time-divisions.  I  shall  discuss 
first,  therefore,  the  ways  and  means  which  lead  to  such  control, 
since  an  understanding  of  these  seems  first  in  importance. 

A  difficulty  which  you  will  encounter  in  dealing  with  the 
subject  of  rhythm  arises  from  the  fact  that  there  is  often  a  wide 
distinction  between  absolute  and  personal  time.  The  clock, 
with  its  regular  tick-tick,  measures  the  first  with  relentless  ac- 
curacy; but  the  latter  is  at  the  mercy  of  the  emotions,  lagging 

70 


PIANO  TEACHING  71 

wearily  when  these  are  disagreeable,  and  l)ounding  merrily  when 
they  are  pleasurable.  Thus  to  persons  of  emotional  natures,  and 
especially  to  children,  time  is  an  unfixed  factor,   ^ 

'  ■  Dependence  or 

dependent  upon  the  mood  of  the  moment,  meas-  tempo  upon  the 
ured  l)y  a  very  fickle  inward  monitor,  which 
voices  itself  in  the  heartbeats.  And  unless  pupils  can  be  taught 
to  disregard  this  inward  metronome  and  to  attend  strictly  to 
external  time  measurements,  they  will  invariably  associate  a 
certain  number  of  physical  motions,  such  as  movements 
of  the  fingers,  with  a  proportional  number  of  heartbeats, 
so  that  if  the  heartbeats  are  quickened  the  fingers  fly 
faster,  while  if  they  are  retarded  the  fingers  are  tranquilized 
accordingly.  These  facts  will  readily  account  for  the  reckless 
pace  with  which  the  pupil  will  sometimes  play  his  piece  when 
he  comes  before  an  audience  and  his  nervousness  sets  his  heart 
a-thumping,  and  will  also  demonstrate  the  need  of  tying  him 
down  to  external  and  absolute  time-values  by  every  possible 
expedient. 

He  must  first,  therefore,  be  made  to  comprehend  the  meaning 
of  regular  and  inflexible  time-beats.  Tell  him  what  constitutes 
time-measure,  comparing  it  to  other  units  of  meas-  „  ,   ^ 

'  ^  ^  _  How  to  teach  the 

urement,  like  the  yardstick,  and  illustrating  it  nature  of  time- 
by  referring  to  the  tick  of  the  clock,  the  tramp- 
tramp  of  soldiers,  and  finally  to  the  even  tapping  of  your  pencil 
upon  the  piano-case.  Let  him  then  repeatedly  play  one  note 
in  even  rhythm,  comparing  it  with  these  time-measures.  Sup- 
plement such  exercise  by  grouping  time-beats  into  bunches  of 
two,  three,  or  four,  meanwhile  counting  to  the  tap  of  the  pencil 
the  staccato  one,  two,  three,  four,  and  taking  care  that  this  count- 
ing never  degenerates  into  the  drawling  and  useless  o-n-e-t-w-o 
t-h-r-e-e-f-o-u-r. 

It  will  not  be  long  before  you  can  call  the  metronome  to 
your  aid.  Have  the  pupil  play  a  single  note  with  each  click  of 
this,  and  with  a  single  finger,  until  he  can  play  it  „,^ 

'  o  o      y  .  When  and  how  to 

accurately  upon  the  beat;  and  follow  up  this  pro-  use  the  metro- 
cess  by  varying  the  speed  of  the  metronome,  until 
he  can  adapt  himself  readily  to  different  tempi.     He  is  then 


72  PIANO   TEACHING 

prepared  to  use  the  metronome  with  his  finger  exercises,  for  a 
portion  of  their  practice,  at  least,  ])laying  them  first  with  one 
note  to  a  beat,  and  eventually  with  a  group  of  two,  three,  or 
even  four  notes  to  a  beat.  I  cannot  recommend  an  extensive 
use  of  the  metronome  during  the  playing  of  actual  musical  com- 
positions, except  occasionally  as  a  test;  but  its  frequent  employ- 
ment in  the  above  and  other  ways  with  finger  exercises  will 
develop  a  pupil's  appreciation  of  absolute  time-values  as  no 
other  agency  can.  Only  take  care  in  this,  as  in  other  matters, 
to  give  him  no  task  which  is  not  clearly  understood  and  feasible 
for  him;  for  having  a  metronome  wagging  beside  him,  and  meari- 
while  playing  in  a  state  of  perfect  oblivion  as  to  its  movements, 
is  certainly  not  a  salutary  performance. 

It  may  be  well  at  this  point  to  describe  the  course  of  scales 

with  metronome  to  which  allusion  has  been  made  (page  64), 

,     although  these  will  not  be  entered  upon  until  the 

A  course  of  scale-  °  ^ 

practice  with  the    scalcs  havc  been  well  fixed  under  the  fingers.    This 

metronome.  .  „    ,,  ,,  ,  •    ,       • 

course  is  as  toUows,  the  metronome  registermg 
from  88  to  144  beats  per  minute: 

1.  Scales  with  hands  one  octave  apart. 

{a)  one  octave,  one  note  to  a  beat. 
(6)  two  octaves,  two  notes  to  a  beat, 
(c)   three  octaves,  three  notes  to  a  beat. 
((/)  four  octaves,  four  notes  to  a  beat. 

2.  Scales  in  thirds,  repeating  processes  a,  h,  c,  d. 

3.  Scales  in  sixths,  repeating  the  same  processes. 

Eacli  scale  is  practiced  first  from  the  bottom  up  and  down,  and 
then  from  the  top  down  and  up;  and  the  whole  course  is  studied 
first  in  the  major  and  then  in  the  minor  modes.  The  results 
of  the  work  should  be  to  fix  firmly  the  pupil's  notion  of  the  rela- 
tive proportion  of  notes  and  to  give  him  confidence  and  rapidity 
in  passage  playing. 

There  is  another  reason  why  the  time  is  apt  to  "run  away" 


PIANO  TEACHING  73 

with  pupils  which  siiould  not  escape  us.     This  consists  in  a  lack 
of  technical  control.     In  ])erforniing  a  passage  of  some  rapidity, 
a   finger  not  under  perfect   connnand  is  apt  to  tumble,  as  it 
were,  upon  the  key,  sooner  than  its  strict  time   Acceleration  of 
prescribes;    and   the  player  immediately   adapts   ^\^^°oi\echticI\ 
himself    to    the    quicker    time    thus    started,   so    control, 
that    each    tumble    acts    as    an    accelerating    factor,  causing 
the  fingers  finally  to  fly  like  a  runaway  horse,  which  rushes 
on  headlong  until   a  catastrophe  occurs.     The  recognition  of 
such  a  danger  should  be  to  you  an  added  incentive  to  attend 
to  the  minutest  details  of  technic,  and  to  see  that  no  passage 
is  given  your  pupil  to  learn  for  which  he  has  not  had  adequate 
technical  preparation. 

We  have  dealt  so  far  only  with  the  cases  where  there  has 
been  a  single  note  or  group  of  notes  to  each  beat.     Of  irregular 
rhythmic  groupings  the  number  is  well-nigh  limit-   in-eguiar  rhyth- 
less,  since   these  range  from  figures  composed  of   care^in'^ntro- 
notes  of  simple  time-proportions  to  the  most  com-   Cueing  them. 
plicated  and  perplexing  combinations.     In  regard  to  all  these  I 
may  urge  you  again  to  proceed  circumspectly,  confining  your 
pupil  to  pieces  which   involve  simple  rhythms  until  he  has 
learned  thoroughly  to  control   these,   and  advancing  to  more 
complex  relations  by  slow  degrees.     Nay,  you  will  find  some 
pupils  whose  time-perception  is  so  hopelessly  blunt  that  you 
will  do  well  to  keep  complex  rhythms  entirely  out  of  their 
musical  repertory. 

Most  of  the  irregular  rhythms  can  receive  treatment  similar 
to  that  prescribed  for  even  rhythms:  they  may  be  carefully 
dissected,  explained,  and  compared  with  the  even 

Preparations  for 

beats;  they  may  be  drummed  out  to  the  metro-   the  practice  of  ir- 

,  J   •    J.       J  J   •    J.      n  •  regular  rhythms. 

nome  counts  and  introduced  into  hnger  exercises. 
At  all  events,  you  should  endeavor  to  give  the  pupil  the  right 
idea  of  a  rhythm  before  he  practices  upon  it,  since,  if  he  once 
acquires  a  wrong  conception  of  it,  the  task  of  unloading  this 
from  his  mind  will  prove  a  stupendous  one.  If  you  give  him  a 
study  or  piece  to  practice,  therefore,  which  involves  rhythmic 
pitfalls,  at  least  play  over  each  doubtful  phrase  several  times 


74  PIANO   TEACHING 

distinctly  for  him,  in  order  that  he  may  carry  away  the  correct 
idea  of  it. 

How  much  use  you  shall  make  of  audible  counting  to  deter- 
mine rhythmic  intervals  is  another  matter  for  consideration. 
The  use  of  au-  Tcachcrs  of  a  quarter-century  ago  were  accus- 
dibie  counting.  tomed  to  tcll  their  pupils  to  count  their  one-and- 
two-and-three-and  aloud  religiously  from  beginning  to  end  of 
their  practice,  with  the  result  that  they  either  forgot  to  count 
at  all,  or  else  banished  all  traces  of  inspiration  from  their 
performances  by  putting  their  thought  chiefly  on  the  beats. 
I  am  not  sure,  however,  that  the  modern  teacher  does  not  reach 
the  other  extreme  in  requiring  scarcely  any  counting  at  all. 
Your  pupil  should  certainly  understand  how  each  piece  he  prac- 
tices is  to  be  counted,  and  he  should  be  able  to  count  audibly 
any  portion  of  it  while  he  is  playing  it.  If  unable  to  do  this 
he  will  not  only  play  with  a  lack  of  intelligence,  but  he  will  be 
paralyzed  in  the  presence  of  any  ensemble  work,  such  as  four- 
hand  duets.  Counting  should  invariably  be  staccato,  and 
enough  beats  should  be  assigned  each  measure  to  cover  all 
necessary  subdivisions:  thus,  %  time  should  be  counted  in  four 
beats.  In  very  slow  tempo,  where  many  subdivisions  are 
required,  I  can  see  no  objection  to  the  use  of  the  word  and 
between  the  numerical  beats,  although  such  a  custom  is  decried 
by  some  teachers.  If  this  word,  or  any  other  word  in  the 
lexicon,  will  help  us  in  teaching  rhythm,  let  us  welcome  it 
joyfully! 

Of  the  many  rhythmic  pitfalls  I  will  mention  but  a  few, 
and  these  only  because  in  them  there  is  a  diversity  between  the 
Relation  of  a  dot-  uotcs  as  Written  and  as  played.  The  relation  of 
compi°ementary  ^  dottcd  notc  to  its  Complementary  note  (J"^) 
°°'®-  is   one   such.     If  the   shorter  note   is  distinctly 

melodic,  it  should  be  given  its  full  value  (page  97),  but  if,  as  is 
often  the  case,  it  serves  chiefly  to  accentuate  the  following  note, 
you  should  teach  the  pupil  to  dwell  upon  the  long  note  as  though 
it  occupied  the  time  of  both,  and  then  to  play  the  short  note 
and  its  following  note  as  a  unit,  conceiving  them  to  have  a 
relation  similar  to  that  which  exists  between  a  grace-note  and 


PIANO   TEACHING 


75 


the  note  it  qualifies,  as  in  the  following  example  from  Grieg's 
Humoreske,  Op.  6,  No.  4: 


. 

Allegro  alia  burl 

3=q 

fd 

m 

m 

^=^ 

Grieg 

^ 

77-     '*-'            W 

P 

-^ 

r 

m 

i^  ^ 

r 

1 

1                   J          1 

\ 

,.rf  f 

■^ 

^~~^ — a 

1 

( 1 

c| 

1= 

— 1 

?-j      1 

The  exact  place  of  the  grace-note,  or  acciaccatura,  is  frequently 
a  matter  of  doubt.     The  rule  in  the  classic  epoch  was  to  play 
this  note  invariably  on  the  beat,  while  the  prin-    Rendition  of 
cipal  note  followed  in  quick  succession,  assuming   e'^^ce-notes. 
the  accent,  as  in  this  example  from  Schubert's  Moment  Musical, 
Op.  94,  No.  3: 


lif'Vv  ^J  J  J^Pi-i 

Schubert 

uH — ^ 

-"An  r..—H= 

#    '■••.     # 

1  r  f  r  r  1 

In  case  the  grace-note  preceded  a  group  of  notes  in  the  same 
hand,  it  was  still  played  on  the  beat  with  all  the  chord-notes 
excepting  the  one  which  it  especially  qualified,  which  followed 
as  before.  You  wnll  be  safe  in  adhering  to  this  rule,  although, 
especially  in  modern  music,  instances  will  occur  in  which  it  is 
evidently  to  be  relaxed ;  for  instance,  when  a  grace-note  or  group 
of  grace-notes  plainly  form  a  melodic  connection  with  the  note 
preceding,  as  in  the  Schubert  Impromptu,  Op.  142,  No.  3.  Such 
grace-notes  should  be  played  as  an  introduction  to  the  note  to 
which  they  lead,  and  hence  should  occur  before  the  beat: 


Schuberl 


76 


PIANO   TEACHING 


A  peculiar  difficulty  arises  in  the  case  of  so-called  cross- 
rhythms,  where  one  part  involves  a  group  of  notes  which 
_,.     .  ,^      ,      conflict  with  those  in  another  part.     The  most 

The  rhythm  of  ^ 

three  notes  against  frequent  example  of  this  occurs  when  three  even 
notes  move  against  two  even  notes.     This  prob- 
lem, so  puzzling  to  pupils,  can  be  anticipated  in  a  simple  manner 
by  treating  it  in  connection  with  rhythmic  scales  (page  72). 
Begin  bj'  explaining  the  rhythmic  relationship  of  the  two  parts. 
Outline  a  measure  in  |  time,  as  in  the  cut,  showing     JTjTn 
that  each  note  of  the  middle  group  has  the  time  of  two  1^  T\r 
eighths,   and    each    note  of   the    lower  group    that     ^'  ^ 
of  three  eighths.     Have  the  pupil  play  this  rhythm  repeatedly 
with  one  finger  of  each  hand,  counting  the  time:     J  J^J      then 
show  that  the  construction  is  the  same  when  one     \  i   |      part 
is  written  as  a  triplet  and  the  other  in  even  eighths.      Now 
write  the  first  three  notes  of  the  scale  for  the  right  hand  against 
the  first  two   for   the  left.     Let  this  be  played  with  the  two 
fingers  several  times,  and  then  let  a  following  group  be  added: 


2     2      2      2 


2        2 


2        2  2        2 


When  these  are  easily  rendered,  let  the  same  principle  be 
carried  out  for  three  octaves  in  the  right  and  two  in  the  left, 
Application  of  this  asccuding  and  descending,  still  with  the  single 
to  scale  practice,  g^gers.  The  regular  scale  fingering  is  now  applied, 
and  from  this  point  the  practice  of  the  rhythm  in  all  scales  is 
a  simple  matter.  Even  now,  however,  the  goal  is  not  quite 
attained,  for  the  pupil  will  be  found  invariably  to  think  of  the 
triple,  rather  than  the  duple  rhythm,  while  for  practical  pur- 
poses the  duple  is  almost  always  to  be  made  prominent.  Let 
him,  therefore,  play  the  right  hand  pianissimo,  accentuating  the 
left  meanwhile.  This  process  will  be  found  difficult  at  first, 
but  with  the  proper  amount  of  thought  it  should  eventually 
be  accomplished.     By  now  inverting  our  initial  rhythms  we 


PIANO   TEACHING  77 

prepare  the  way  for  j^layins  three  notes  in  the  left  to  two  in 
the  rifijht;  and  this  combination  is  carried  out  as  before,  by 
playing  the  scales  from  the  top,  down  and  up. 

A  still  more  complicated  rhythm  is  that  of  four  notes  against 
three;  and,  while  this  may  be  easily  outlined,  I  advise  you  to 
reserve  it  for  use  with  advanced  pupils,  or  for  „.   .,  , 

^      '         '  bimilar  use  or 

special  cases  in  which  it  is  required.     In  order  to  four  notes  against 

J — JJJJJJJJJ  show  the  mathematical  relation- 
^i.   A.|  i»-  i|i-    ship  between  the  notes  in  the  two  hands,  place 
f      f      f      these  notes,  written  in  dotted  quarters  for  the 

right  hand  and  halves  for  the  left,  under  twelve  eighth  notes^ 

as  shown  in  the  cut. 

I  i  II 

Take  now  the  sentence,  "TFAen',  wilX  he,  come' ,  to-day"'  and 

iS  <=>  c? 

1  I  1 

apply  it  to  the  practice  ^of  the  rhythm,  and  you  will  lead  the 
pupil  insensibly  into  the  proper  proportions  of  time-divisions. 
The  rhythm  thus  analyzed  m&y  now  be  applied  to  scale  prac- 
tice as  above  outlined,  the  right  hand  playing  four  octaves  while 
the  left  plays  three;  and  the  reversal  of  the  whole  process  is 
next  in  order. 

The  use  of  the  above  rhythmic  sentence  recalls  an  ingenious 
employment  made  by  some  teachers  of  the  rhythms  already 
familiar  to  the  lips  of  pupils  in  the  pronunciation 
of  words.    Such  a  word  as  Prov'idence,  for  instance,  word-accent  to 
illustrates  the  rhythm   J.    *^   J  excellently;  while    "^'""^'e  r  yt  ms. 

Monta'na  reveals    J    J    J,  and  Indiana   JZ  J    *\     I  suggest 

this  as  a  device  out  of  which  the  clever  teacher  may  derive 
considerable  capital. 

We  have  already  recognized  the  fact  that  the  element  of 
rhythm  has  to  do  not  only  with  individual  short  beats,  but  also 
with   the   recurrence   of  groups   of  these   beats.  , 

.  ...     Importance  of  ac- 

Smce  much  of  the  interest  of  a  composition  is  cent  in  defining 
derived  from  the  varied  make-up  and  the  clear  ^  ^   ™"^  groups, 
exposition  of  these  groups,  it  behooves  us  to  consider  every  pos- 
sible device  which  will  tend  toward  this  result.     The  character 
and  boundaries  of  each  of  these  groups  are  expressed  by  making 


T8  PIANO   TEACHING 

prominent  one  or  more  of  its  notes  and  subordinating  others. 
Notes  which  are  thus  brought  into  the  foreground  are  said  to  be 
accented.  How,  therefore,  shall  you  teach  your  pupils  to  accent 
properly? 

Let  us  first  assume  that  there  is  an  almost  infinite  variety 
in  the  gradation  of  accents,  which  extend  from  the  merest  sug- 
"The  proportional  gcstiou  of  a  strcss  to  an  Overwhelming  avalanche 
nature  of  accent,  of  souud;  and  also  that  all  accents  are  propor- 

Low-grade  and  •  i       i 

high-grade  ac-  tioual,  tlcpendmg  not  upon  the  absolute  value  of 
'^®°*^'  the  prominent  note  itself,  but  upon  its  degree  of 

supremacy  over  the  notes  immediately  preceding  or  accom- 
panying it.  Thus,  a  note  played  'piano  may  involve  the  effect 
of  a  decided  accent  if  the  note  before  it  be  played  pianissimo. 
According  as  this  proportional  relation  is  realized  in  one's  play- 
ing is  the  proper  harmony  of  tone-qualities  maintained;  and, 
moreover,  the  lower  the  force  or  grade  which  suffices  to  achieve 
a  certain  accent,  the  more  reserve  power  remains  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  pianist  for  use  in  attaining  a  climax.  Hence 
the  principle  holds  that  a  low-grade  accent  should  invariably 
be  chosen  in  preference  to  one  of  a  higher  grade,  whenever  the 
former  will  suffice  for  the  effect  desired.  It  also  follows  that 
the  low-grade  accents  should  be  used  much  more  frequently 
than  the  others. 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  the  form  of  accent  which,  with- 
out intruding  itself  upon  the  hearer,  yet  subtly  forces  upon  him 
The  rubato  ac-  the  significance  of  a  given  beat,  is  in  all  respects 
^^^^-  the  one  most  necessary  for  our  pupils  to  have  at 

their  command.  This  accent  I  will  call  the  rubato  or  time- 
changing  accent  (=-),  since  it  involves  a  slight  modification  of 
the  rigidity  of  the  beats,  prolonging,  often  to  an  infinitesimal 
extent,  the  prominent  note.  In  a  dance  rhythm,  like  that  of 
the  waltz,  for  instance,  the  effect  of  this  accent  is  that  of  a 
gentle  pressure  upon  each  first  beat,  as  when  the  initial  mo- 
mentum is  given  y^^  ^  to  a  wheel  in  putting  it  into 
revolution,  thus:  *)•  J  f  r=i  The  power  of  this  accent  may 
be  increased  tenfold,  ^  '  '  however,  by  still  further 
elongating  the  beat  for  a  note  of  special  stress,  as  at  the  climax 


PIANO    TEACHING 


79 


of  a  melody,  thus  suggesting  the  stress  of  the  singer  upon  a 
note  of  great  intensity.  I  instance  the  climax  note  of  the  first 
phrase  in  the  Chopin  Nocturne,  Op.  9,  No.  2 : 


Chopin 


The  second,  or  dynamic  form  of  accent  needs  little  explana- 
tion, since  it  is  the  form  most  easily  recognized  ( A ) .  Involving  as 
it  does  an  actual  increase  in  sound  in  a  note  over  The  dynamic  ac- 
that  of  the  preceding  note,  it  must  be  used  with  *^^°*" 
much  discretion,  in  order  that  the  accented  note  may  not  be 
grotesquely  out  of  proportion  to  its  surroundings.  It  is,  how- 
ever, the  form  of  accent  upon  which  we  must  rely  to  say  the 
final  decisive  word  at  the  apex  of  a  climax,  as  in  the  Chopin 
Funeral  March: 


Chopin 


An  accent  which  is  really  a  modified  form  of  the  rubato  may 
be  called  the  legato  accent  {^).  This  makes  a  legato  note  prom- 
inent by  preceding  or  following  it  by  staccato  The  legato  ac- 
notes,  thus  apparently  giving  it  greater  dura-  '^^°'- 
tion.  The  preparatory  rest  before  the  entrance  of  a  voice  in 
fugal  writing  produces  an  effect  analogous  to  this,  drawing 
attention  to  the  entering  note  of  the  subject  by  the  void  that 
was  before  it.  Here  is  a  legato  accent  from  Beethoven,  Op.  31, 
No.  3: 

Beethoven 


80 


PIANO   TEACHING 


Likewise  the  staccato  accent  (  ),  a  modified  form  of  the  dy- 
namic, in  which  the  note  breaks  off  abruptly  on  a  prominent 
beat,  is  occasionally  a  powerful  ally.  Combined 
immediately  with  the  legato  accent,  this  fur- 
nishes a  rhythm  of  overwhelming  intensity,  as  in  Scharwenka's 
Polish  Dance: 


The  staccato  ac- 
cent. 


Scharwenka 


Finally  we  note  the  pedal  accent.  The  desirability  of  depress- 
ing the  damper  pedal  after  the  note  it  sustains,  on  the  ground 
The  pedal  ac-  that  the  uotc  would  Otherwise  be  ])lurred  with  the 
*^®°*"  one  preceding,  has  been  pointed  out  (page  67).    But 

we  must  understand  that,  while  the  damper  pedal  is  used  pri- 
marily to  sustain  tones,  it  also  does  in  reality  make  them  some- 
what louder  by  releasing  all  the  strings  from  their  dampers  and 
allowing  them  to  vibrate  in  sympathy  with  the  one  sounding. 
Hence  the  pedal,  used  directly  after  the  key  is  depressed,  will 
produce  an  added  intensity  of  tone,  suggestive  of  the  stress 
which  the  singer  would  give  to  it.  Employed  in  connection 
with  the  ruhato  accent,  this  means  of  rounding  out  the  tone  will 
prove  most  serviceable. 

The  connection  and  interplay  of  these  different  forms  of 
accent  and  the  varied  properties  of  each  ffirnish  the  resources 
Connection  and  upou  which  the  piauist  must  draw  in  order  to 
vajied'forms  of^  indicate  the  different  grades  of  rhythmic  promi- 
accent.  neuce  lietween  notes  in  the  same  melody,  between 

simultaneous  melodies  involving  conflicting  rhythms,  and  finally, 
in  the  accompaniment  which  may  lie  behind  these.  It  is  this 
last  element  of  accompaniment,  a  characteristic  of  the  harmonic 
forms  of  instrumental  music  extending  historically  from  Haydn's 


PIANO  TEACHING  81 

time  to  the  i:)ros(>nt,  whicli  brings  before  us  the  important  sub- 
ject of  77}etcr  as  involved  in  that  of  rhythm. 

Imagine  to  yourself  a  stainini-glass  window  set  in    a  large 
number  of  small  diamond-shaped  leads  all  of  the  same  size. 
These  leads  will  correspond  closely  to  what  meter   j^^ture  of  meter 
is  in  music,  namely,  a  regularly  formed  framework   as  distinguished 

,,..,.  Ill-  Tc  from  rhythm. 

subdividmg  the  rhythmic  pattern.  If,  now,  the 
diamond-shaped  panes  were  all  plain  and  of  precisely  the  same 
color,  they  might  be  likened  to  the  repetition  of  the  same  tone, 
with  no  variation  in  rhythm  from  the  meter-beats;  while,  if 
they  were  still  plain  but  of  different  colors  and  shades,  they 
would  recall  a  melody,  at  one,  however,  with  the  meter  in  its 
rhythm.  But  our  window  is  of  quite  a  different  order  of  interest. 
On  each  piece  is  a  geometrical  pattern,  these  patterns  varied 
individually,  but  each  contributing  to  a  coherent  whole.  Not 
only  do  they  fail  to  correspond  minutely  wdth  the  conventional 
leads,  but  they  are  formed  occasionally  of  lines  that  actually 
antagonize  these.  So  with  rhythms  of  character  and  distinc- 
tion :  fitting  into  their  given  meter,  they  yet  dominate  this  by 
asserting  their  supremacy  to  it  in  phraseology  that  now  coin- 
cides with  it  and  now  defies  it,  but  which  always  contributes 
toward  the  unified  pattern  that  is  unfolding.  Let  us  regard  the 
meter,  therefore,  as  the  lining-out  of  the  limits,  and  the  rhythm 
as  the  working  of  the  music  pattern  within  these  limits;  or  let 
us  call  the  meter  the  background,  and  the  rhythm  the  characters 
w^hich  stand  out  before  it. 

Background  as  it  is,  however,  the  meter  must  yet  be  ever  in 
evidence,  or  the  whole  structure  will  collapse  for  want  of  coher- 
encey.   Hence,  while  it  should  never  become  obtru-   ^j,         . 

''  '  Means  of  ex- 

sive,  we  must  never  allow  it  to  become  totally   pressing  the 

,  ,  .  .      ,  ,  metric  accent. 

obscured,  now  suggestmg  it  by  the  most  subtle 
of  our  accents,  now  reinforcing  it  to  prevent  its  annihilation  by 
an  opposing  rhythm,  and  now  emphasizing  it  with  full  vigor  in 
a  rhythmic  climax.  For  the  first-named  purpose  the  slightest 
of  rubato  accents  is  sufficient;  for  the  second  we  bring  the  legato 
and  pedal  accents  to  our  aid;  while  for  the  third,  the  dynamic  is 
called  into  play,  as  in  the  Chopin  Waltz,  Op.  64,  No.  1 : 


82 


PIANO   TEACHING 


Ch 

OpiE 

— ■ ■  ■" 

- 

v4^ 

u  J  J 

'^ 

p 

4= 

"^ 

- 

^^4=H^ 

F^^; 

=^=^ 

4iM= 

^-, 

P 

i 

rz: 

H 

Li '  ^  m 

^*H^  ' 

5 

'    ■'         ^4 

iat 

= 

— ' 

»^ 

^ 

M= 

Guide  in  deter- 
mining normal 
metric  accents. 


Our  guide  in  determining  the  beginning  of  the  metric  scheme 
is  primarily  the  measure  bar,  which  assumes  that  the  chief 
metric  accent  is  on  the  first  beat  following;  and 
we  are  safe  in  ol^eying  this  cUrection,  except  in 
occasional  instances  where,  through  the  careless- 
ness of  the  composer  or  poor  editorship,  this  bar  is  misplaced.* 
Besides  this  accent,  a  secondary  accent  is  due  on  the  beginning 
of  the  second  half  of  the  measure  in  duple  time,  and  on  each  of 
the  two  secondary  beats  of  triple  time;  so  that  a  constant  suc- 
cession of  trochees  (-  ^)  or  dactyls  (-  ^  ^)  lies  behind  our 
rhythmic  evolutions. 

Occasionally  the  meter  is  varied  by  unwonted  reinforcements 
Unusual  metrical  or  uuusual  acccnts.  Schubcrt,  for  instance,  often 
accents.  Strengthens  his  first  beats  by  an  immediately  fol- 

lowing accent,  as  in  this  excerpt  from  Op.  142,  No.  3: 


*  Riemann  quotes  as  an  example  of  misplaced  bars  the  Chopin  Noc- 
turne, Op.  9,  No.  2.  It  is  obvious  that  the  bars  in  this  composition  should 
have  been  placed  before  the  middle  beat  of  each  measure  as  it  is  ordi- 
narily printed. 


PIANO   TEACHING 


83 


Some  dance  forms  ^ive  an  occasional  prominence  to  an  unex- 
pected beat,  as  in  the  mazurka,  where  the  accent  frequently 
occurs  upon  the  third  beat.  Here  is  an  example  from  Mosz- 
kowski,  Op.  38,  No.  3: 


On  the  other  hand,  it  is  sometimes  made  impossible,  by  the 
omission  of  notes,  to  assert  the  meter  at  all,  as  in  this  example 
from  Schumann,  Op.  15,  No.  13: 


Schumann 


In  this,  as  occasionally  in  other  cases,  the  mind  of  the  auditor 
must  be  made  previously  so  accustomed  to  a  meter  that  he 
instinctively  supplies  its  boundaries  for  himself. 

Over  the  metrical  accompaniment  the  melodic  portions  hold 
sway.  Most  frequently  their  rhythn:;s  coincide  in  the  principal 
accents  with  those  of  the  meter,  in  which  case  ^^      ,   .     ^ 

'         _  The  relation  be- 

these  accents  may  vary  in  kind  or  in  degree,  a  tween  metric  and 

,  .    ,  ,  ,       f  1  •      1  •  J 1  rhythmic  accents. 

higher-grade  accent  oi  any  kind  servmg  the  pur- 
pose as  required.  Sometimes,  however,  to  increase  the  intensity 
of  expression,  the  rhythm  assumes  an  antagonistic  attitude, 
boldly  defying  the  metric  accent  or  nervously  anticipating  it, 
in  both  of  which  cases  the  sharper  dynamics  must  be  employed 
as  the  intensity  develops.  Here  is  an  example  of  such  antago- 
nism, from  Schumann,  Op.  15,  No.  10: 


84 


PIANO   TEACHING 


Schumann 


Another  form  of  conflict  greets  us  in  the  Des  Abends,  from 
Schumann's  Op.  12,  where  the  ruhato  accent  must  suggest  the 
duple  rhythm  in  the  accompaniment,  while  the  melody  in  triple 
rhythm  stands  out  above  it: 


Schumann 


Your  task  is,  therefore,  first  to  drill  the  pupil  in  the  compre- 
hension and  use  of  the  several  species  of  accent,  then  to  apply 
these  to  each  hand  or  voice  taken  separately,  and  finally  so  to 
unite  metric  and  rhythmic  accents  as  to  secure  the  proper  pro- 
portion of  each. 

I  have  dwelt  much  upon  the  necessity  for  giving  a  pupil  com- 
mand over  absolute  time-values.  He  must,  however,  be  taught 
Proportionate  that  the  tcmpo,  which  means  the  rate  of  speed  at 
nature  of  tempo,  ^yj-jich  a  composition  is  played,  must  be  decided 
upon  for  each  individual  composition.  Indications  for  tempo 
are  given  in  general  terms,  such  as  allegro  and  andante,  or  more 
accurately  by  metronome  marks;  yet  it  is  alwaj^s  possible  to 
adopt  a  rate  of  speed  much  lower  than  that  indicated  and,  by 
preserving  the  proportion,  perform  the  selection  correctly.  This 
fact  is  to  be  taken  advantage  of  in  the  analytical  study  of  any 
composition  in  order  to  place  each  note  properly  in  its  environ- 
ment. All  the  elements  can  be  thus  prepared,  with  the  exception 
of  the  final  pervasive  spirit,  which  depends  to  a  certain  extent 


PIANO   TEACHING  85 

upon  speed.  TIk^  ])ui)il  must  he  tuu,s»;ht,  liowover,  that  rhythmic 
verve  is  a  more  imjK)rtaiit  factor  in  (Ictcrmininfi;  tliis  spirit,  and 
that,  therefore,  a  vital  ])erforman('o  does  not  vaiue  of  metro- 
necessitate  the  pushing  of  the  speed  to  the  metro-  """"^  marks, 
nome  requirements.  Disregard  tlie  metronomes  marks  in 
teaching,  tlierefore,  except  as  general  indications,  and  let  the 
rate  of  performance  be  kept  rigidly  within  the  pupil's  abilities. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  the  metronome  should  be  used  only 
sparingly  in  the  performance  of  actual  compositions  (page  72). 
The  reason  for  such  restriction  is  that  the  metro-  Necessity  for  fiex- 
nome  produces  an  inflexible  tempo,  and  that  even  '^^''^y"*  tempo, 
in  the  most  formally  rhythmic  compositions  some  allowance 
should  be  made  for  variation  in  this  respect.  The  grace  and 
artistry  of  j^ersonal  performance  is  dependent  upon  the  sul:)or- 
dination  of  all  elements  to  the  sense  of  expression,  and  it  is 
this  flexibility  of  treatment  which  distinguishes  the  work  of  a 
pianist  from  that  of  a  machine.  The  slight  variation  caused 
by  the  rubato  accent  (page  78)  is  our  first  instance  of  tempo 
modification.  How  much  further  such  changes  may  extend 
must  now  be  considered. 

Since,  then,  it  is  the  personal  element  which  induces  elasticity 
of  tempo,  it  is  evident  that  the  more  personal  the  composition 
is,  the  more  frequently  tempo  changes  will  occur. 
Compositions  in  which  the  formal  style  is  domi-  by  the  formal  and 
nant,  such  as  the  old-time  dances,  —  Bach  Ga-  p®"'^"'^*  ^  ^  ®' 
vottes  and  the  like,  —  should  be  played  in  strict  time,  the  only 
exceptions  occurring  at  the  endings  of  important  divisions, 
where  a  general  broadening  of  treatment  and  a  pompous  retard- 
ing of  tempo  are  in  order.  Haydn  and  Mozart  must  thus  be 
played  upon  strict  lines.  With  Beethoven,  however,  contrast- 
ing sections  of  the  same  movement  sometimes  vary  in  tempo; 
and,  as  they  advance  in  freedom  of  personal  expression,  the 
works  of  following  composers  sanction  still  greater  liberties. 
When  lyric  melodies  are  applied  to  the  piano,  they  presuppose 
that  the  player  is  to  imitate  vocal  effects.;  thus,  in  the  So7ig 
Without  Words  style  of  composition,  personal  expression  vies 
with  formal  structure,  and  sometimes  dominates  it  entirely. 


86  PIANO   TEACHING 

The  true  tempo  ruhato,  or  borrowing  of  time  from  one  side 

of  a  phrase  and  repaying  it  on  the  other,  is  supposed  to  have 

come  in  with  Chopin.     Certainly,  from  his  era  the 

The  use  and  '■    ^  _  ^  ' 

abuse  of  the  tendency  to  subordinate  time-values  to  expression 

has  had  a  steady  growth,  resulting  many  times  in 
gross  exaggerations  and  affectations.  Chopin  himself  gave  no 
such  license,  asserting  that  the  accompaniment  should  remain 
in  even  time,  while  the  melody  alone  might  occasionally  tran- 
scend this.  We  will  need,  therefore,  to  place  special  safeguards 
about  our  pupils  if  we  do  not  wish  them  to  throw  all  artistic 
prudence  to  the  winds. 

To  assist  our    judgment    we    have    two  helps:   the  marks 

inserted  by  the  composer,  and  our  own  sense  of  fitness.     In 

dealing  with  the  former  a  policy  of  assimilation 

Factors  which  ^  111 

determine  must  be  pursucd  m  Order  that  changes  m  time 

changes  in  tempo.  j^  •  e  i_i  i  -^  1      j  t 

may  occur  not  as  it  they  were  arbitrary,  but  as  if 
demanded  by  the  spirit  of  the  piece  itself.  Our  own  artistic 
sense  can  be  trained  on  the  principle  that  we  should  keep  to  the 
strict  tempo,  unless  there  is  some  evident  and  special  reason 
in  the  nature  of  the  composition  to  disturb  it.  The  climaxes 
of  a  song  melody,  the  quick  alternation  of  the  grave  and  the 
serious,  the  pompous  and  dignified  cadence,  and  the  emotional 
whirl  of  a  finale  may  be  excuses  for  elasticity  of  tempo.  Err, 
however,  on  the  safe  side,  if  at  all,  and  discourage  your  pupil 
from  finicky  and  spasmodic  distortions. 

Your  first  care,  therefore,  in  the  teaching  of  the  rhythmic 
element,  is  to  educate  the  pupil  to  a  command  over  absolute 

time.     Illustrations,     counting    aloud,     exercises 

Summary.  .11  1  •  i\     1       ^      • 

With  the  metronome,  and  care  with  technic  are 
aids  toward  this  end.  Irregular  rhythms  are  studied  by  similar 
methods,  with  the  possible  addition  of  the  employment  of  word- 
rhythms.  The  various  kinds  of  accent,  the  ruhato,  the  dynamic, 
the  legato,  the  staccato,  and  the  pedal,  must  be  considered  sepa- 
rately and  in  combination,  and  applied  to  the  definition  of  meter 
and  rhythm  on  the  principle  of  always  using  an  accent  of  a 
lower  grade  in  preference  to  one  of  a  higher.  The  result  of  the 
application  of  this  principle  is  to  create  a  reserve  power  for 


PIANO  TEACHING 


87 


use  in  crucial  climaxes.  Finally,  while  allowing  for  latitude  in 
the  matter  of  tempo,  you  must  guard  against  an  indiscriminate 
use  of  this,  and  must  be  guided  by  the  expression  marks  pre- 
scribed by  the  composer  and  by  the  evident  demands  of  the 
composition  itself. 


Spring  Wave. 
Photograph  from  life  by  Emile  Jaquea-Dalcroze. 


CHAPTER  VII 

The  Teaching  of  the  Melodic  and  Harmonic  Elements 

It  is  often  asserted  that  the  piano  teacher  has  an  immense 
advantage  over  his  fellow  teachers  of  the  voice  or  of  most  other 
The  complex  char-  instruments,  sincc  he  is  not  obliged,  as  they  are, 
of?he°piano^°'^''  to  arouse  a  faculty  which  is  sometimes  almost 
teacher.  wholly  lacking,  namely,  that  of  the  appreciation 

of  pitch.  When,  however,  the  entire  scope  of  his  work 
is  considered,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  additional  problems 
which  he  must  meet  will  quite  absolve  him  from  the  charge  of 
leading  a  comparatively  rose-colored  existence.  Instead  of  dwell- 
ing simply  upon  a  single  melody,  he  must  introduce  the  pupil 
to  a  complexity  of  parts  which  often  rival  those  of  a  modern 
orchestral  score;  and  it  must  be  his  aim  to  give  the  pupil 
such  a  command  over  each  one  of  these  parts  that  it  assumes 
its  due  relation  to  all  the  others.  Thus,  he  must  not  only  make 
the  pupil  an  orchestral  conductor,  but  must  teach  him  to  play 
at  the  same  time  all  the  instruments  which  he  is  conducting. 
The  simplest  piece  which  you  give  j^our  pupil  will  probably 
contain  a  melody  and  its  accompaniment,  the  latter  either  in 
the  harmonic  or  melodic  form ;  and  of  the  elements  thus  involved 
the  melody  must  express,  by  its  variations  of  pitch  and  inten- 
The  robiem  of  ^^^^'^  ^^^^  shadcs  of  the  emotioual  mood  of  the 
melody  and  ac-  compositiou,  while  the  Secondary  part  acts  as  a 
background,  or  a  foil,  to  this  mood.  Our  first 
object,  therefore,  is  to  discover  how  to  impart  to  the  melody 
its  proper  significance. 

You  are  giving  your  pupil,  then,  a  piece  containing  a  simple 
melody  in  the  right  hand,  supported  by  a  flowing  harmonic 
accompaniment  in  the  left;  —  let  us  say  Melody,  the  first  num- 
ber of  Schumann's  Op.  68.  He  must  begin  by  studying  each 
part  separately  and  deciding  upon  the  quality  of  tone  to  use  in 


PIANO   TEACHING 


89 


each;  for  while  you,  as  a  piano  teacher,  are  not  obHged  to  show 
him  how  to  make  the  pitch  of  each  note,  you  nmst  take  no 
less  care  than  the  vocal  teacher  to  give  him  com-  imitation  of  a 
mand  over  varieties  of  tone-quality  and  the  menroT melodic" 
means  for  their  production.  The  right  hand  tone-quaiity. 
must  imitate  a  singer;  and  in  so  instructing  the  pupil,  emphasize 
the  fact  that  he  should  imitate,  not  a  weak  and  amateurish  apol- 
ogy for  a  vocalist,  but  the  greatest  singer  he  has  ever  heard; 
that  his  tone  should  resemble  hers  in  its  roundness,  fullness, 
and  expressiveness.  Having  realized  this  ideal  as  nearly  as 
possible,  he  now  turns  his  attention  to  the  accompaniment. 
As  this  is  subordinate,  its  tone-quality  should  be  lighter  and 
thinner  than  that  of  the  melody,  and  it  should  be  so  managed 
that  it  may  reflect,  at  a  respectful  distance,  each  change  of  the 
mood  of  the  song. 

The    tone-quality    of    the    melody    is,    therefore,    normally 
stronger  throughout  than  that  of  the  accompani-  The  proportion 
ment,  a  forte  in  the  melody  equaling  a  mezzo-forte   and^^^*^  me  o  y 
in    the    accompaniment, 
pianissimo  in  the  other, 
as  follows: 


accompani- 
ment. 


a  piano  in  the  one,    a 

the  range  of  tone  thus  overlapping 


fff    \ 

ff 

r    / 

Range 

mf 

of          . 

mp 

compam- 

V    . 

mejit 

pp 

•  VVV 

Range 

of 
Melody 


A  fact  which  you  should  note  in  this  connection  is  that  the 
notation  signs  p,  f,  ff,  and  the  like,  are  intended  to  convey  only 
general  directions,  indicating  not  the  tone-power  of  individual 
parts,  but  rather  the  effect  of  the  whole,  excepting,  of  course, 
when  they  are  distinctly  applied  to  separate  parts.  Thus,  a 
piano  may  result  from  the  union  of  a  mezzo-forte  melody  with  a 
piano  accompaniment,  or  a  forte  from  a  fortissimo  melody  plus 


90  PIANO  TEACHING 

a  piano  accompaniment.     Expressing  these  formulae  in  alge- 
braic terms,  we  have 

Melody—  mf  ff 

Accompaniment  —  pp  or  p 


Result  =  mfpp  =  p,  ffp^*  f. 

Our  scheme  of  proportions  is,  of  course,  subject  to  modifi- 
cation in  special  instances.  Sometimes  upon  the  return  of  a 
Exceptions  to  the  ^elody  formerly  announced  it  is  effective  to  ob- 
generai  rule  of      scure  it  by  an  accompauiment  heavier  than  that 

proportion.  .    ■  ...  ,       . 

previously  used,  thus  stimulating  the  interest  of 
the  hearers  by  making  it  necessary  for  them  to  pay  careful  heed 
in  order  to  disassociate  it  from  its  surroundings.  Likewise  a 
staccato  accompaniment  beneath  a  legato  melody  may  be  em- 
phasized without  interfering  with  the  latter,  and  important 
chords,  singly  or  in  groups,  may  demand  a  special  prominence 
(page  99).  Breaks  in  the  continuity  of  the  melody,  too,  give 
the  accompaniment  a  chance  to  assert  its  own  character;  and  a 
similar  opportunity  is  afforded  by  a  harmonic  introduction  or 
postlude,  such  as  occurs  in  Mendelssohn's  familiar  Consola- 
tion, the  ninth  of  his  Songs  Without  Words. 

Should  the  melody  be  in  the  left  hand,  with  the  accompani- 
ment in  the  right,  as  in  Schumann's  Happy  Farmer,  from 
The  case  in  which  ^P-  ^^^  ^^e  problem  is  practically  the  same  as 
the  melody  ap-      ^^^^  abovc,  with  the  couditious  reversed;  except 

pears  under  more 

obscure  con-  that,  as  the  left  hand  plays  on  the  heavier  part  of 
the  piano,  there  will  be  less  difficulty  in  making 
it  prominent.  A  more  serious  trouble  is  reached,  however, 
when  the  melody  is  divided  between  the  two  hands,  or  the 
accompaniment  and  melody  both  appear  in  the  same  hand. 
The  added  necessity  for  tracing  out  and  perfecting  the  mel- 
ody as  a  prerequisite  to  any  union  with  the  accompaniment 
is  quite  apparent;  indeed,  the  pupil  should  so  fix  in  his  mind 
the  character  and  expression  of  the  melody  alone  that  his 
sense  of  right  will  be  shocked  if  it  be  at  all  obscured  by  the 
accompaniment. 


PIANO   TEACHING  91 

And  here  let  me  suggest  a  device  which  I  have  found  especially 
efficacious.  The  chief  difficulty  in  securing  a  properly  subdued 
tone  in  the  accompaniment  lies  in  reducing  the  The  device  of 
tone  which  the  pupil  instinctively  asserts  until  compl1fim*lnru'p 
it  reaches  its  proper  level.  But  if  the  problem  ^^°™  ^^^''• 
be  reversed,  and  he  have  only  to  bring  one  part  up  from  absolute 
zero  to  the  desired  level,  the  solution  is  much  facilitated.  Let 
him,  therefore,  play  the  melody  with  a  full  and  vigorous  tone 
and  at  the  same  time  make  the  finger  motions  necessary  for 
playing  the  accompaniment  on  top  of  the  keys,  without  producing 
an}'  sound  whatever  from  them.  This  action  may  prove  a  little 
awkward  at  first,  but  can  generally  be  accomplished  in  a  short 
time ;  and  he  may  then  be  allowed  to  depress  the  accompaniment 
keys  slightly,  with  the  result  that  he  produces  a  very  light  tone. 
As  the  whole  process  is  merely  that  of  acquiring  a  certain  knack 
of  execution,  it  is  probable  that  he  will  have  no  further  trouble 
in  regulating  the  proportion  according  to  your  instructions.  It 
is  well,  however,  to  maintain  for  some  time  an  exaggerated  dis- 
tinction between  the  tone  of  the  melody  and  that  of  the  accom- 
paniment. The  same  device  is  useful  when  a  melody  note 
and  a  chord  of  the  accompaniment  occur  simultaneously  in 
the  same  hand.  The  execution  will  then  be  facilitated  if  the 
accompaniment  notes  are  rendered  staccato,  and  the  hand, 
quickly  released  from  them,  is  thrown  over  upon  the  melody 
key,  as  in  this  melody  by  Tchaikovski: 


Tchaikovski 


Having  thus  disposed  of  the  single  melody  and  accompani- 
ment, we  are  prepared  to  meet  the  case  in  which  two  or  more 
melodies  are  involved  at  the  same  time.     You    simultaneous 
should  introduce  this  problem  to  the  pupil  by  "^contrapuntaT 
teaching  him  music  in  which  these  melodies  alone  ™"sic. 
appear,  with  an  absence  of  the  harmonic  background;  in  other 
words,  music  written  in  the  contrapuntal  style.     Selecting  one 


92  PIANO   TEACHING 

of  Bach's  two-part  inventions  as  an  excellent  example  of  this, 
you  will  have  the  pupil  practice  the  hands  separately,  giving  to 
each  voice  its  proper  melodic  quality  of  tone,  and  will  then,  in 
letting  him  put  the  hands  together,  show  him  how,  while 
nominally  of  equal  importance,  each  of  the  melodies  has  yet 
sections  which  should  rise  into  special  prominence.  This  pro- 
^^    ^       .  cess  involves  an  understanding  of  the    thematic 

The  thematic  as  .  . 

distinguished  from  as  opposcd  to  the  lyric  mclody.  Selecting  the  prin- 
yric  me  o  y.  ^-p^^  theme  of  the  invention  w'hich  he  is  study- 
ing, such  as  that  of  the  eighth  invention:  ^  Bach 
he  must  learn  to  play  this  in  such  a  way 
that  it  possesses  individuality  and  distinc- 
tion. Having  attained  this  object,  he  proceeds  to  trace  out 
this  theme  through  the  composition,  stamping  it  each  time 
with  the  character  of  its  first  appearance  (page  36).  Mean- 
while whenever  one  of  the  melodies  is  subordinated  to  the 
other,  it  should  yet  retain  its  melodic  and  expressive  nature. 
The  same  principles  may  now  be  applied  to  the  study  of  the 
simpler  fugues  from  Bach's  Well-Tempered  Clavichord,  such  as 
numbers  1,  2,  5,  10,  and  21  of  Volume  One,  each  voice  receiving 
minute  analysis,  and  the  structure  and  proportions  of  the  whole 
having  due  attention.  Special  care  should  be  extended  to  the 
leads  of  the  fugue  subject,  which  should  be  foreseen  by  a  pre- 
vious diminuendo  in  the  voice  in  which  each  is  to  occur,  and 
which  should  enter  with  sufficient  emphasis  to  attract  the  mind 
of  the  auditor  to  the  voice  which  announces  it. 

So  the  pupil  is  led  on,  as  his  advancement  warrants,  to  the 
more  complex  and  extensive  compositions  of  the  polyphonic 
Melodies  and  school.  But  meanwhile  he  is  prepared  to  work 
d'iesTn  ■harmo'nk"'  upon  picccs  in  which  harmouic  accompaniment  is 
™"^''=-  added  to  complications  of  melodies,  such  as  Men- 

delssohn's Duetto,  from  the  Songs  without  Words.  First  thread- 
ing out  the  melodies  and  adjusting  their  relations  to  each  other, 
the  pupil  adds  the  previously  mastered  accompaniment,  raising 
it  from  the  zero  condition  as  explained  on  page  91.  He 
must  now  be  made  alert  to  detect  the  various  traces  of  the 
polyphonic  school  of  writing  which  are  so  common  with  many 


PIANO   TEACHING 


93 


modern  composers.  Occasionally  a  lyric  melody  appears  in 
the  middle  of  an  apparently  purely  instrumental  composition, 
such  as  that  in  tiie  third  part  of  Nevin's  Barchetta  quoted  above 
(page  37) ;  and  the  i)layer  nuist  quickly  subordinate  what  before 
were  passages  of  i)rincipal  interest,  in  order  that  the  singer 
may  occupy  the  center  of  the  stage.  Again,  notably  in  Schu- 
mann's works,  fragments  of  imitative  melody  pop  out  continu- 
ally, as  in  the  Trdiimerei  from  Op.  15: 


Schumann 


Sometimes  the  low  bass  notes  form  an  insidious  melody,  as  in 
Godard's  Second  Waltz: 


Godard 


Any  significant  group  of  notes,  in  fine,  wherever  they  occur, 
may,  by  rising  into  prominence,  add  an  unexpected  charm  to 
the  flow  of  musical  thought.  You  should  watch  continually 
for  such  opportunities,  therefore,  and  attract  the  pupil's  atten- 
tion to  them. 

Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  formulate  a  set  of  rules 
for  melodic  expression.     Since,  however,  a  melody  of  character 
must  express  the  unfettered  individuality  of  the  principle  of  in- 
composer,  every  one  of  such  rules  has  been  repeat-  creasing  the  tone 

,  ,  for  high  notes  and 

edly  thrown  to  the  winds  by  the  hands  of  genius,  diminishing  it  for 
We  are  therefore  dependent  again  chiefly  upon 
the  resources  of  our  own  artistic  sense  plus  the  directions,  some- 
times meager,  which  the  composer  gives  us  to  determine  the 
fitting  trend  of  expression.  We  know  that  upper  tones,  while 
normally  more  intense  than  low  ones,  are  yet  less  powerful. 


94  PIANO  TEACHING 

Illustrate  this  fact  to  your  pupil  by  showing  him  how  much 
shorter  and  slighter  the  upper  strings  of  the  piano  are  than  the 
lower  ones.  If  you  strike  together  a  very  high  and  a  very  low 
note  with  the  same  degree  of  strength,  the  upper  one  will  be 
scarcely  heard.  What  follows?  The  conclusion  that,  in  order 
to  secure  a  proper  tonal  balance,  the  power  of  tone-production 
must  increase  in  ascending  and  decrease  in  descending  the  scale. 
So,  normal  melodic  expression  means  a  crescendo  as  the  notes 
rise  in  pitch  and  a  diminuendo  as  they  fall.  Then,  too,  the  higher 
the  note,  the  greater  the  intensity  of  its  meaning,  as  is  shown 
by  the  singer,  who  puts  the  acme  of  her  emotion  into  the  high 
notes;  and  in  imitating  this  stress  the  pianist  accompanies  the 
greater  power  which  he  devotes  to  the  high  climax-note  by  a 
plentiful  use  of  the  ruhato  accent  (page  78).  On  the  other  hand, 
Exceptions  to  this  employing  this  principle  exceptionally,  the  com- 
principie.  poscr  sometimes  produces  a  terrific  climax  by  a 

crescendo  upon  descending  notes,  as  in  the  finale  of  Liszt's 
Rigoletto  Fantasie:  or  he  gives  a  delicate  and  vanishing 
effect  by  an  upward  diminuendo,  as  at  the  close  of  Grieg's 
Berceuse. 

Melody,  like  speech,  is  a  kind  of  discourse  in  which  one  idea 
leads  into  another,  each  of  these  ideas,  however,  having  its 
component  parts  which  resolve  themselves  into 
and  its  connection  a  beginning,  a  middle,  and  an  end.     When  the 
wit   speec  .  subordinate  clauses  are  properly  adjusted  one  to 

another,  and  the  idea  concludes  logically,  a  complete  phrase  or 
musical  sentence  results.  The  important  process  of  thus  mak- 
ing clear  each  thought  in  its  subdivisions  and  as  a  whole  is  the 
branch  of  our  subject  called  phrasing.  Sometimes  you  will  find 
editions  of  works  in  which  you  can  rely  implicitly  upon  the 
phrasing  marks  given;  but,  unfortunately,  there  are  numerous 
instances  in  which  either  the  carelessness  of  the  composer  or 
poor  editorship  make  it  necessary  for  you  to  revise  these.  In 
so  doing,  treat  the  phrases  in  the  light  of  a  spoken  sentence. 
Suppose  I  say,  "If  to-morrow  is  a  pleasant  day,  and  the  weather 
is  warm,  I  shall  take  a  walk."  Here  are  two  conditional  clauses 
and  a  concluding  clause.     In  speaking,  the  voice  would  begin 


PIANO  TEACHING 


95 


each  condition  softly,  working  up  to  an  accent  upon  the  last 

syllable:  —  "If  to-morrow  is  a  pleasant  day,  and  tlie  weather  is 

warm,"  while  the  conclusion,  although  the  most  important 
clause,  ends  with  a  falling  voice.  If  the  sentence  were  interroga- 
tive, the  voice  would  rise  at  the  end.  The  long  musical  phrase 
can  be  defined  on  just  such  lines.  Ordinarily  its  subordinate 
clauses  will  begin  upon  an  unaccented  beat,  and  each  will  end 
with  an  accent;  but  the  conclusion  will  contain  the  notes  of 
greatest  importance,  and  will  frequently  end  with  a  light 
note,  unless  an  interrogative  character  is  to  be  given.  Here 
is  an  example  from  the  second  fugue  of  Bach's  Well-Tempered 
Clavichord: 

Bach 


You  must  remember,  however,  that  while  the  long  phrase  is 
logically  divisible  into  these  clauses  or  musical  figures,  it  is  not 
always  well  to  emphasize  these  subdivisions  by   g^g^^^j^  j^  ^^^^, 
))reaks  in  the  continuity  of  the  legato,  since  a   treatment  of 
fragmentary   or   "choppy"    effect   might   result. 
Take  the  phrase  from  Mendelssohn's  Song  without  Words,^o. 22: 


Mendelssohn 


This  has  two  subdivisions  in  sense,  one  answering  the  other, 
but  in  actual  performance  the  two  are  united  into  a  continuous 
thought.  So,  while  the  pupil  should  understand  the  smaller 
divisions,  he  should  be  taught  to  group  these  into  broad  phrases, 
each  expressive  of  a  complete  musical  conception. 

The  accentuation  employed  in  such  a  phrase  will  depend  upon 
the  meter  and  the  points  of  special  stress.  The  metric  accents 
will  generally  be  assisted  by  the  accompaniment,  use  of  accents  in 
and  will  not  therefore  receive  special  attention,  ****  '""^  phrase, 
except  where  they  are  coincident  with  the  stress-notes.  These 
latter,  however,  must  be  considered  carefully,  as  upon  them 


96 


PIANO  TEACHING 


depends  the  whole  force  of  the  phrases.  Normally,  the  phrase, 
beginning  lightly,  works  gradually  up,  sometimes  through  sev- 
eral minor  points  of  emphasis,  to  the  final  climax-note,  which 
occurs  near  the  end,  after  which  the  downward  cadence  imme- 
diately follows,  as  in  the  theme  of  Beethoven's  Sonata,  Op.  26: 


Beethoven 


It  is  sometimes  difficult  to  determine  whether  the  climax-note 
or  a  note  which  has  a  stronger  metrical  accent  is  the  highest 
note  of  the  phrase.  In  such  a  case  a  stress  is  frequently  placed 
on  this  highest  note,  and  a  stronger  one  upon  the  metrical 
climax,  as  in  this  example  from  Beethoven,  Op.  49,  No.  2: 


Bcethuveii 


\H'A  rT\ 

-t 

^r=^ 

ij       n 

• 

"T — f  T  f  - 

F^^ 

T^^^=^ 

-J d-.-^ 

^ j^ — ^- 

+ — bf- 

••yii  a  p 

fMi 

^ 

p 

ffrfi 

g 

^ 

t= 

9. 

^=^- 

s 

ti==N= 

B 

^=F=- 

a 

» i  *  1 II 

The  preceding  example  illustrates  the  necessity  for  making 

prominent  the  note  next  before  the  last  in  a  phrase  ending  in  a 

downward  inflection.     Remember  that  if  a  single 

Treatment  of  the  ,      .        ,  i  i  p  ,  •  •- 1  ^  c 

final  note  of  a       notc  IS  struck  a  number  oi  times  with  equal  force, 
P^*^^"  the  final  impact  invariably  has  the  effect  of  an 

K 

You  can  easilv 


accent,  thus: 


prove 


this  by  trying  the  experiment.  Hence,  in  order  to  render 
the  last  note  of  a  phrase  really  light  and  unobtrusive,  it  is  nec- 
essary to  accent  slightly  the  note  before  it,  thus  neutralizing  the 


PIANO   TEACHING 


97 


natural  effect  of  the  concluding  note.  Teach  the  pupil,  there- 
fore, not  so  much  to  lighten  the  last  note  of  such  a  phrase  as 
to  accent  the  note  next  before  it,  leaving  the  latter  to  produce 
the  necessary  diminuendo.  If  the  former  be  a  long  note,  occur- 
ring on  a  metric  accent,  no  difficulty  will  be  found;  but  if  it  be 
a  short  note,  the  action  is  not  so  easy.  In  this  example  from 
Schubert's  Impromptu,  Op.  142,  No.  3,  the  delicate  stress  on 
the  last  C  gives  a  graceful  fall  to  the  final  note: 


Schuberf 


The  song-character  of  a  lyric  melody  is  emphasized  by  giving 
prominence  to  the  shortest  notes  which  occur  in  it.  Thus, 
when  the  dotted  eighth  and  sixteenth  (page  74)  short  notes  in 
each  have  melodic  values,  a  slight  prolongation  of  °i®'°<^i^s. 
the  sixteenth  will  enhance  this  fact.  Similarly,  notes  of  embel- 
lishment, like  grace-notes,  should  be  rendered  with  a  melodic 
tone-quality  in  harmony  with  the  song-illusion  that  is  desired. 

Piano  music  embraces  many  compositions  in  which  rapid  run- 
ning passages,  made  up  of  scales  and  arpeggios  arranged  in 
recurring  figures,  are  found  in  abundance.  Since,  Application  of  the 
however,  such  passages  are  merely  amplified  and  pre°sion^to°lu^n- 
quickened  melodies,  the  same  principles  apply  to  """s  passages. 
them  as  to  the  latter.  Generally,  also,  their  phraseology  is  of  a 
much  simpler  order  than  that  of  the  lyric  melody,  since  their 
rapidity  tends  to  diminish  the  individuality  of  their  notes.  The 
principle  of  making  a  crescendo  upon  ascending  notes  and  a 
diminuendo  upon  descending  ones  still  holds.  Varieties  in  tone- 
color,  breaks  in  the  flow  of  tone,  emphases  of  occasional  notes, 
piling  up  of  climaxes,  and  rubato  effects  in  emotional  sections, 
all  contribute  to  save  the  performance  from  monotony.  Your 
greatest  care,  however,  must  be  to  secure  technical  cleanness 


98 


PIANO   TEACHING 


and  steadiness  of  tempo  throughout.  Christian!  aptly  says,* 
"It  is  not  so  much  a  question  of  playing  a  great  many  notes 
with  great  velocity  in  a  given  degree  of  strength,  as  to  play 
every  note  clearly,  and  in  the  spirit  of  the  composition."  In- 
terior notes  of  phrase-groups  must  not  be  allowed  to  blur  or  to 
languish  in  tone,  since  the  slightest  deficiency  in  clearness  will 
often  result  in  their  entire  loss  to  the  ear  of  the  auditor.  Put 
the  pupil  especially  on  his  guard  as  to  the  middle  note  of  a 
three-note  group,  which  is  particularly  prone  to  shirk  its  duty. 
Quick  three-note  passages,  like  those  in  Mendelssohn's  Rondo 
Capricdoso, 


Mendelssohn 


should  be  practiced  with  a  decided  accent  on  the  second  note, 
in  order  that  it  may  actually  be  heard  in  the  performance. 

Among  running  passages  we  must  include  the  elaborate 
embellishments  analogous  to  vocal  cadenzas,  which  Chopin  was 
The  vocal  ca-  foud  of  introducing  into  his  Nocturnes,  and  in 
denza  in  piano      which  his  followcrs  revel.     As  these  imitate  the 

music. 

work  of  the  singer,  they  are  susceptible  of  more 
liberty  of  treatment  than  is  the  running  style  just  discussed. 
Yet  even  here  let  us  beware  of  an  overdrawn  sentimentality, 
and  let  us  not  abet  our  pupils  in  a  wholesale  slaughter  of 
time-regulations. 

Although  the  relation  of  the  harmonic  to  the  melodic  element 
has  alread}^  received  attention,  something  further  should  be 
,       .         .  said  in  regard  to  its  individual  intricacies.     Pupils 

Long  jumps  m  »  ^ 

the  harmonic  ac-    -who    are  Ordinarily  careful  about  details  some- 

companiment.  .  .  ..,,,.  ,      . 

times  commit  surprismg  blunders  m  rendermg  an 
harmonic  accompaniment,  seeming  to  look  upon  it  as  a  task  in 
which  accurac}^  is  hopeless.     Let  us  not,  moreover,  underrate 

*  Principles  of  Expression  in  Pianoforte  Playing. 


PIANO  TEACHING  99 

the  difficulty  of  the  modern  chordal  schomc  which  freely  uses 
in  apparently  easy  compositions  such  ticklish  jumps  as  these: 


To  conquer  such  difficulties  the  pupil  must  concentrate  his 
whole  attention  upon  them  until  the  part  has  been  mastered  by 
itself;  and  in  putting  it  with  the  right-hand  part  he  must  still 
keep  his  mind  constantly  on  the  alert  toward  the  spacing  of  the 
left-hand  intervals.  One  help  in  such  a  passage  is  to  spread  out 
the  hand  so  that  the  little  finger  is  reserved  for  the  single  bass- 
note,  while  the  fourth  or  even  the  third  plays  the  lowest  note 
of  the  following  chord,  as  above.  Another  is  to  move  the  hand 
directly  from  the  low  note  to  the  chord  and  back  again  to  the 
next  note,  without  the  circuitous  gyrations  frequently  indulged 
in,  thus  following  out  the  axiom  that  a  straight  line  measures 
the  shortest  distance  between  two  points. 

The  low  bass-note  in  this  class  of  accompaniments,  occurring 
on  the  metric  stress,  should  be  played  with  a  firm  and  sonorous 
tone,  sometimes  reinforced  by  ruhato,  legato,  or   ^(.(.urac  in  the 
pedal  accents;  and  the  following  chords  should   piaymg of  accom- 

_,^  ,         ,  ,     paniment  chords. 

have  a  precise,  staccato  character.  Care  should 
be  taken,  moreover,  that  all  the  notes  of  these  chords  be  sounded 
with  an  equal  finger-pressure.  Often  the  middle  note  in  a  chord 
of  three  notes  is  indistinct,  and  sometimes  the  upper  note  dis- 
appears with  it.  This  effect  is  especially  common  in  the  case 
of  the  last  chord  of  a  group,  where  the  mind  of  the  performer 
is  so  occupied  with  the  jump  to  the  next  bass-note  that  the 
hand  is  made  simply  to  give  an  aimless  lunge  at  the  desired 
chord,  frequently  with  disastrous  results.  To  obviate  such 
trouble  you  should  instruct  the  pupil  in  his  analytical  practice 
to  bring  the  hand  quickly  and  directly  from  each  note  over  the 
note  which  he  is  to  strike  next,  so  that  he  may  attack  it  in  a 
straight,  downward  line,  and  not  by  a  sidewise  stroke.  The 
habit  thus  acquired  will  be  found  applicable  to  all  passages 


100  PIANO   TEACHING 

involving  long  jumps,  such  as  hand-interlockings  and  hand- 
crossings. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  notes  of  most  chords  should 
be  sounded  absolutely  together.     But  how  many  pupils  really 

The  fault  of  lack  ^*^  ^^^^  ^  ^^  ^^'^  Hstcn  carcfuUy  to  their  perform- 
of  unison  in  at-  ances  do  we  not  detect  scores  of  instances  in 
which  one  finger  strikes  a  trifle  before  or  after  its 
fellows?  The  one-sided  effect  when  this  ill  attack  is  applied 
to  both  hands  is  all  too  common,  even  among  pianists  who 
should  know  better.  Tell  a  pupil  to  bring  out  a  melody  with 
very  great  expression,  and  nine  times  out  of  ten,  if  he  has  not 
been  forewarned,  he  will  play  every  note  of  it  a  little  behind  its 
accompaniment.  If  we  listen  to  a  hymn  as  played  by  the 
average  amateur  we  are  greeted  by  the  same  stumbling  attacks. 
Have  your  pupil  practice  the  playing  of  hymns,  repeating  each 
chord  until  the  unison  is  perfect,  and  make  him  afterward  watch 
his  work  for  traces  of  this  error. 

What  is  thus  normally  a  fault  may,  however,  occasionally 
be  employed  intelligently  for  particular  purposes.  The  arpeg- 
Use  of  arpeggi-  giatiug  of  chorcls  is  very  common.  While  the 
ated  chords.  exact  method  of  treating  this  process  must  be  left 

to  your  judgment,  it  should  be  noted  that,  although  the  interior 
notes  of  the  chord  should  flow  clearly  and  evenly,  the  funda- 
mental note  should  yet  be  given  prominence,  with  the  upper- 
most note  sometimes  a  close  second.  As  a  general  rule,  the 
fundamental  note  should  be  played  on  the  beat,  the  other  notes 
quickly  following,  like  grace-notes;  but  "when  the  top  notes  of 
rolled  chords  form  a  melody,  it  is  these  notes  that  should  be 
played  on  the  beat,  the  rest  of  the  chord  really  belonging  to  the 
beat  before."  *  Schumann's  Nachtsttlch,  Op.  23,  No.  4,  and 
Mendelssohn's  Spring  Song  involve  examples  of  this  latter  mode 
of  treatment. 

Modern  music  is  relegating  its  emotional  texture  more 
and  more  to  the  harmonic  devices  of  dissonances  and  modu- 
lation. In  dealing,  therefore,  with  composers  of  this  school  — 
MacDowell,  Debussy,  and  a  host  of  others  —  we  must  treat 
*  Foote:  Some  Practical  Things  in  Piano  Playing,  p.  16. 


PIANO  TEACHING  101 

the  chordal  progressions  as  indicative  of  shades   of   feehng, 
must  color  and  blend  them  with  a  mixture  of  legato  and  pedal 
effects,  must  give  stress  to  intentionally  startling  ^^^^^  ^  . 
dissonances,  and  must  bring  forward  any  other  tionai  chord  pro- 
significant  chord  or  group  of  chords.    All  shades  of 
tone  are  demanded  in  the  highly-spiced  works  of  the  romantic 
school,  from  the  shrill  clang  of  the  treble  and  the  thrilling  sonor- 
it}^  of  the  bass  to  the  mystic  murmurs  of  the  elusive  una  corda. 
Contrasts  between  the  driest  of  staccatos  and  the  overlapping, 
blended  tone-masses  succeed  each  other  also  in  cjuick  succes- 
sion, and  make  necessary  a  thorough  master}^  of  the  technic  of 
the  damper  pedal. 

To  decide  upon  the  proper  use  of  this  latter,  you  may  start 
with  the  principle  that  a  change  in  harmony  or  melody  requires 
a  change  of  the  pedal.  But  you  must  make  your  use  of  the  damper 
understanding  of  this  principle  broad  enough  to  and^L^om^ni-^^ 
cover  scores  of  exceptions.  A  continual  use  of  the  ™'^°*- 
pedal  upon  accented  beats  leads  to  monotony;  therefore  enhance 
its  effect  by  leaving  it  off  occasionally.  ^Moreover,  in  music  like 
that  of  Bach,  which  was  originally  plaj'ed  entirely  without  the 
pedal,  the  latter  should  not  be  employed  unless  it  legitimately 
emphasizes  a  climax  or  solidifies  a  single  chord,  and  should  never 
be  allowed  to  mix  either  consecutive  chords  or  melody  notes. 

But  in  modern  romantic  music  considerable  latitude  in  the 
use  of  the  pedal  is  frequently  desirable.  A  sonorous  chord  may 
sometimes  be  sustained,  while  lighter  dissonant  ^ 

Free  uses  of  the 

chords  flit  through  it;  several  consonant  melody  pedai  in  modem 
notes  may  be  blended  for  the  purpose  of  preserv- 
ing the  underlying  harmony;  or  a  rapid  succession  of  dissonant 
notes,  like  the  chromatic  scale,  may  be  confused  by  the  pedal, 
provided  the  latter  is  promptly  released  at  the  termination  of 
the  run.  Less  intermingling  in  the  case  of  low  tones  is  per- 
mitted on  account  of  their  heavy  character  than  of  those  in  the 
higher  register.  These  latter,  in  fact,  become  so  little  sostenuto 
in  power,  that,  ascending  above  treble  E, —  -j^ — ^  -p  you 
may  employ  the  pedal  quite  freely,  with  all  ^  ^  =°  sorts 
of  conflicting  sounds.     The  legato  use  of  the  pedal,  in  which  it 


102  PIANO   TEACHING 

is  depressed  immediately  after  the  chord  which  it  sustains^ 
and  is  removed  exactly  as  the  next  is  sounded,  thus: 


is  an  important  factor  in  softening  the  outlines  of  colored  chord- 
sequences. 

The  frequent  habit  of  putting  on  the  pedal  at  the  end  of 
phrases,  which  tends  to  obliterate  the  logical  divisions,  should 
also  be  guarded  against. 

We  have  not  specifically  mentioned  the  flowing  harmonic 
accompaniment  in  single  notes,  such  as  the  well  known  "Albert! 
bass:  " 

Simplicity  in  the 
flowing  accom- 
paniment. 

Simplicity  and  evenness  are  prime  requisites  in  its  rendition, 
with  emphasis  mainly  or  wholly  upon  metrical  accents.  It 
should  thus  serve,  by  its  uniform  steadiness  of  tempo,  to  give 
stability  and  coherence  to  the  more  emotional  parts  acting 
above  it. 

Each  melody  which  your  pupil  studies  should,  therefore,  be 
given  attention  apart  from  its  context;  and  the  accompaniment 
should   finally   be   entirely   subordinated   to   the 
ummary.  mclody,  cxcept  in  so  far  as  its  individual  charac- 

teristics demand  emphasis.  Phrasing  may  be  summarized  in 
the  excellent  words  of  Riemann:  *  "Playing  with  expression 
is  in  fact  nothing  more  than  speaking  with  sense.  If  only  one 
understands  the  sense  of  a  phrase  one  hardly  needs  further 
directions  as  to  its  accentuation;  the  sense-accent  falls,  then,  as 
of  itself  on  the  right  words.  It  is  just  the  same  in  music;  if  only 
one  knows  the  accent  of  higher  and  lower  order  with  the  bound- 
aries of  phrases  and  motives,  the  rest  comes  of  itself."  Melodic 
progressions  normally  receive  a  crescendo  in  ascending  and  a 
diminuendo  in  descending,  while  each  long  phrase  rises  to  a 

*  Catechism,  of  Pianoforte  Playing. 


PIANO  TEACHING  103 

climax  and  afterwards  falls.  The  notes  of  chords  should  be 
equal  in  streni^th  and  squarely  together,  except  where  otherwise 
specified,  and  tlie  hand  should  be  exactly  over  the  chord  keys 
when  these  are  to  be  struck.  Modern  harmonic  effects  require 
particular  expression  in  the  case  of  especially  significant  progres- 
sions, and  their  coloring  frequently  calls  for  skillful  manipulation 
of  the  pedal.  Moreover,  accompaniments  should  be  of  uniform 
steadiness,  as  a  general  rule,  since  it  is  upon  these  as  foundation 
that  the  varied  play  of  musical  thought  is  constructed. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Teaching  of  Unity  in   Interpretation 

Amid  the  discouragements  incidental  to  a  teaching  career, 
take  this  thought  for  your  comfort:  that  you  will  not  have 

lived  in  vain  if  you  have  brought  your  pupil  to 
stage  of  a  pupil's  the  poiut  whcrc  his  playing  is  not  disagreeable, 
eve  opmen  .  jjq^  g^^j  jg  ^\^q  reflection  that  thousands  of  young 
people  spend  many  hours  of  their  lives  producing  sounds  from 
the  piano  which  fill  with  anguish  every  person  of  sensibilities  who 
comes  wuthin  the  sphere  of  their  audible  influence !  Yes,  if  your 
pupil  plays  accurately  and  neatly,  if  his  time  is  good  and  his 
expression  is  endurable,  you  have  at  least  rendered  him  harm- 
less, and  in  some  cases  you  can  scarcely  hope  to  do  more.  But 
with  a  pupil  of  real  musical  talent  this  stage  of  his  advance- 
ment should  represent  merely  a  thorough  preparation  for  the 
good  time  to  come.  It  is  as  if  he  were  a  carpenter  who  had 
sawed  and  fitted  every  board  for  the  construction  of  a  house 
upon  specified  plans.  All  this  material  must  now  be  fastened 
into  place,  its  crudities  must  be  polished  away,  and  an  air  of 

solidity  must  be  imparted  to  the  connected  whole. 

The  stage  where 

playing  arouses      If  the  analyzed  details  can  only  be  given  the  effect 

actual  interest.  c       ,  ,  i  i  i  ■  i       •  i 

01  structural  coherence,  his  playing  advances 
immediately  from  the  merely  innocuous  stage  to  that  where 
interest  is  aroused.  The  friends  who  have  asked  him  to  play 
for  them  no  longer  endure  in  polite  boredom,  but  they  begin  to 
prick  up  their  ears,  to  smile  approvingly,  and  finally  to  pat  him 
on  the  back  with  the  prediction  (alas  for  him! )  that  he  is  a 
genius. 

So,  after  the  analytical  processes  which  I  have  described  have 
been  carried  out  to  the  extent  of  his  ability,  you  are  to  teach 
him  how  to  build  these  details  together.     He  must  now  be  made 

104 


PIANO  TEACHING  105 

to  look  upon  the  composition  as  a  whole:  to  understand  what 
is  its  general  character,  to  note  its  broad  divisions,  and  to  decide 
how  they  and  their  various  parts  may  he  related  to  one  an- 
other so  as  to  produce  the  effect  of  logical  sequence.  Need  of  solidified 
]\Iusic,  indeed,  must  be  clear  in  form  beyond  all  ^"^"^  *"  •"""'"■ 
other  arts.  It  cannot  put  definite  ideas  before  us,  as  words 
can,  and  it  cannot  stand  out  in  tangible  and  visible  form,  as 
can  the  works  of  architecture,  sculpture,  and  painting.  But 
these  vanishing,  mystic  sounds  floating  about  our  ears  must  be 
so  clearly  grouped  and  must  succeed  each  other  with  such  per- 
ceptible ties  between  them  that  our  interest  is  held  firmly  and 
we  are  made  to  feel  the  presence  of  a  great  and  burning  thought 
permeating  the  fabric.  It  is  little  wonder,  as  we  view  the  magni- 
tude of  the  task,  that  the  tone-poems  of  a  great  genius,  when 
presented  to  the  hearer  in  a  lackadaisical  manner,  convey  no 
impression  save  that  of  weariness  to  the  poor  auditor.  Why 
should  we  blame  our  friends  for  their  outspoken  aversion  to 
"classical  music,"  if  they  have  been  obhged  to  take  their  doses 
of  it  in  this  milk-and-watery  solution? 

Having  impressed  these  facts  upon  the  mind  of  your  pupil, 
you  proceed  to  unfold  various  devices  by  which  he  may  develop 
this  important  element  of  unity  in  the  composi-  Devices  for  unity 
tion  he  is  studying.     He  will  see  the  drift  of  these   common  to  au 

-^      °  the  arts. 

more  forcibly,  too,  if  you  show  him  that  they  are 
devices  which  are  common  to  the  other  arts  also;  that,  as  all 
art  is  simply  a  formal  method  of  presenting  elevated  thought, 
and  as  this  formality  of  expression  is  only  a  means  for  putting 
this  thought  in  its  most  beautiful  and  striking  light,  it  is  natural 
that  the  painter,  the  sculptor,  the  poet,  and  the  musician  should 
use  parallel  methods  in  their  treatment  of  the  media  in  which 
they  work. 

Let  us  begin  this  building  process  by  noting  the  constant 
recurrence  of  balancing  phrases.  We  have  already  seen  (page  94) 
how  a  phrase  is  normally  made  up  of  a  condition  ^^^  ^^^^^^  ^^  ^^^^ 
and  a  conclusion,  or  a  question  and  its  answer,   ance  in  music  and 

'  *  kmdred  arts. 

Similarly,  if  we  proceed  to  the  next  phrase,  we 

will  often  find  that  it  exactly  balances  the  first  one,  that  like- 


106 


PIANO  TEACHING 


wise  these  two  phrases  are  balanced  by  the  next  two,  and  so  on, 
as  in  this  theme  from  Mozart's  Sonata  in  A  major: 


Mozart 


Jih^H  m^frf    ff 

m-     P   m     f ff— 

1     N  -^- 

r^^^i 

r  rr  r  M'  'T  D  i 

J 

r  n  r- 

f#¥=^^^^ 

M-       P    »       f ff 

jT^i^ 

-J — i^ — ^^ 

^  ^  r  i- 

8  i  a ' 

r  hJ  '- 1 

A  similar  use  of  balance  is  found  in  Hebrew  poetry,  which,  as 
voiced  in  the  Psalms,  shows  a  constant  use  of  answering  coup- 
lets, like  these  from  Psalm  XXIV: 

"The  earth  is  the  Lord's,  and  the  fullness  thereof; 
The  world,  and  they  that  dwell  therein. 
For  he  hath  founded  it  upon  the  seas, 
And  established  it  upon  the  floods."  etc. 

The  balancing  towers  of  the  cathedral  (page  112)  furnish  an 
instance  of  the  architect's  employment  of  the  same  device, 
while  the  conventional  Madonnas  of  the  Italian  painters  dis- 
play details  which,  though  varied  on  either  side  of  the  picture, 
yet  bear  the  same  relation  to  each  other  as  the  two  balancing 
musical  phrases.  Note,  for  example,  the  perfect  equipoise  in 
Raphael's  Madonna  di  Foligno  shown  on  the  opposite  page. 

Now  for  the  practical  application  of  this  principle.  Taking 
the  theme  of  the  first  movement  of  Beethoven's  Sonata,  Op.  26, 
„.     ,     ,   .         we  find  that  it  is  divisible  into  phrases  that  are 

Structural  char-  _  '■ 

acter  of  balancing  respectively  4,  4,  4,  4,  2,  2,  6,  4,  4  measures  m 
length.  The  pupil  should,  therefore,  render  these 
phrases  in  such  a  manner  that  those  which  balance  each  other 
are  played  with  similar  expression,  with  their  climaxes  at  simi- 
lar points  and  their  endings  of  like  character,  as  is  the  case 


PIANO   TEACHING 


107 


Raphael,  Madonna  di  Foligno.  —  Pitti  Palace,  Florence. 

with  groups  1  and  3,  and  groups  2  and  4.  The  ultimate  result 
will  be  a  series  of  phrase-waves,  which,  like  the  waves  of  the 
ocean  dashing  upon  the  shore,  roll  in  till  they  break  upon  their 
climax-notes,  and  then  are  swept  aside  by  the  next  comers; 
while  the  simile  is  continued  by  the  fact  that  groups  of  long 
phrase-waves  are  often  succeeded  by  groups  of  short  ones,  and 
these  by  an  unusually    long    swell,  as   in  the  example  just 


108 


PIANO  TEACHING 


Rembrandt,  Portrait  of  a  Rabbi.  —  National  Gallery,  London. 


cited.  In  formal  music  of  the  classic  type  the  regularity  of 
balance  is  easily  distinguishable.  In  modern  music,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  personal  and  dramatic  character  frequently 
interferes  with  the  natural  limits  of  the  waves,  chopping  them 
off  with  a  startling  blow  or  protracting  them  in  a  strenuous, 
emotional  crisis.  Even  in  such  cases,  however,  the  underlying 
structure  is  not  necessarily  obliterated,  but  should  be  under- 
stood and  suggested  wherever  possible. 


PIANO   TEACHING  109 

The  monotony  which  would  ensue  in  a  long  composition  from 
an  endless  succession  of  similar  balancing  phrase-waves  is 
avoided  by  resort  to  the  element  of  contrast.  ^^^  unifying  fac- 
Hamlet  soliloquizes:  "To  be,  or  not  to  be,"  and  tor  of  contrast, 
then  iH'oceeds  to  place  over  against  each  other  conditions  as  far 
different  as  day  and  night.  So  Rembrandt  masses  light  and 
shade,  as  in  his  Portrait  of  a  Rabbi;  so  the  modern  sculptor, 
Kodin,  exhiliits  the  delicate  and  ethereal  figure  starting  out 
from  the  roughhewn  marble.  Your  pupil,  therefore,  must  be 
prepared  to  assert  those  contrasting  moods  which  complete  the 
masculine  bj'  the  feminine  tones  in  the  music-picture  he  is 
painting.  Let  us  turn  to  the  classic  sonata  again  for  illustrations 
of  thematic  contrasts.  Here  is  the  characteristic  figure  from 
the  first  subject  of  Beethoven's  Sonata,  Op.  2,  No.  1: 

Beethoven 


and  later  on  this  exultant  masculine  strain  is  supplemented  by 
the  soothing  feminine  subject: 


No  greater  antithesis  could  be  conceived :  the  first  theme  leaping 
upward  in  staccato  arpeggios,  the  second  falling  clingingly  in 
more  modest  measures.  In  the  outspoken  passion  of  modern 
compositions,  a  moment  of  perfect  calm  is  often  followed  by  one 
in  which  a  raging  fury  is  let  loose;  and  then  the  demon  is  again 
caged,  as  the  first  gentle  mood  returns.  Chopin's  Nocturne  in 
F  major,  Op.  15,  No.  1,  gives  an  illustration  of  this  favorite  form 
of  the  piano  poets,  while  its  reversal  can  be  noted  in  the  same 
composer's  Fantasie  Impromptu,  in  C  sharp  minor.  After  your 
pupil  has,  therefore,  traced  out  the  lilt  of  his  swaying,  closely 
related  phrases,  he  should  rally  his  opposing  forces,  offsetting  as 
convincingly  as  he  is  able  tempest  with  sunshine,  gentleness 
with  wrath,  smiles  with  frowns. 


110 


PIANO  TEACHING 


Rodin,  The  Flight  of  Love.  —  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  Boston. 


There  must  be  something  more  than  this,  however.  To  give 
completeness  to  his  performance  the  pianist  must  take  his  audi- 
The  unifying  fac-  tors  on  a  joumcy  and  must  arrive  at  his  goal, 
tor  of  chmax.  j^g^  ^^  ^^le  painter  centers  the  attention,  whether 
it  will  or  no,  upon  his  chosen  object,  either  by  focusing  his 
strongest  light  upon  it  or  by  converging  all  the  principal  lines 
upon  it,  as  Raphael  fixes  the  gaze  of  the  surrounding  figures 
upon  the  child  in  his  Madonna  shown  above,  so  the  player 
must  make  his  auditor  feel  that  he  is  constantly  ascending 
from  height  to  height,  until,  —  crash!  he  has  mightily  struck 
down  the  enemy,  and  he  retires  with  the  laurels  of  the  victor. 
Recall  that  wonderful  climax  in  the  Chopin  Funeral  March: 
how,  sobbing  in  those  tomb-like  chords  which  first  greet  the 
ear,  the  emotional  waves  mount  slowly  but  steadily  upward 
until  the  acme  is  reached  in  the  daring  outburst  above  quoted 


PIANO   TEACHING  111 

(page  79) ,  after  which  tlio  mood  sinks  back  to  its  initial  som- 
bcrness.  So,  as  the  bahincing  and  contrasting  phrases  of  each 
part  are  welded  together,  they  nuist  be  given  point  as  a  whole 
by  their  culmination  in  some  towering  peak,  the  apex  of  all  the 
striving.  The  modern  composers,  first  and  foremost  among 
them  that  master  of  climax,  Franz  Liszt,  have  invented  effects 
—  avalanches  of  notes,  piercing  repetitions  of  tremoldndo  pro- 
gressions —  which  invest  their  summits  with  ineffable  vigor. 
The  i)laycr,  however,  who  has  technical  equipment  sufficient  to 
encompass  these  effects  needs  little  instruction  as  to  their  im- 
portance, since  their  very  structure  is  in  itself  an  enthusiastic 
outburst;  but  your  work  in  teaching  will  be  needed  in  empha- 
sizing the  crucial  point  in  passages  where  it  is  not  immediately 
perceptible,  although  the  demand  for  it  be  fully  as  great. 

And  to  do  this  it  is  necessary  to  treat  phrases  in  such  a  manner 
that  there  is  a  constant  advance  in  interest.  If  the  same  notes 
are  repeated,  something  should  be  put  into  them,  Devices  for  pro- 
some  greater  stress  of  expression,  a  softer  or  louder  fdvL^1;e  i^n Inter- 
color,  which  shall  feed  the  intensity  of  thought.  ^^*- 
So,  while  apparently  asserting  precisely  the  same  idea  or  one 
which  is  its  exact  complement,  the  player  should  add  spice  to 
it  so  subtly  that,  although  not  glaringly  perceived,  it  yet  gives 
an  added  zest  to  the  interest.  In  like  manner,  the  recurrence 
of  an  entire  passage  must  be  made  tolerable  by  added  graces, 
so  that  the  auditor  unconsciously  recognizes  in  it  a  new  attrac- 
tion. Note  also  that  a  climax  effect  does  not  necessarily  mean 
an  increase  of  tone  or  speed.  We  may  desire  a  climax  of  rest- 
fulness  or  quiet.  Thus  a  gradual  retarding  and  softening  of  the 
flow  of  tone,  like  that  possible  at  the  close  of  Grieg's  Berceuse, 
may  waft  the  hearer  from  heaven  back  to  earth  so  gently  that 
he  is  left  still  hearing  the  voices  of  the  angels. 

The  cultivation  of  the  elements  thus  far  recorded  necessitates 
in  itself  attention  to  the  property  of  symmetry,  which  is  a  prime 
requisite  in  any  complete  art  form,  and  which  The  unifying  fac- 
implies  that  each  detail  is  given  an  amount  of  ^°'^  °*  symmetry, 
attention  exactly  in  proportion  to  its  value  as  a  component  of 
the  whole.     A  great  architectural  structure,  like  York  Minster, 


112 


PIANO   TEACHING 


for  instance,  impresses  us  not  so  much  with  wonder  at  its  vast- 
ness,  as  of  satisfaction  at  the  perfect  relevancy  and  adjustment 
of  each  of  its  numberless  parts.  In  a  painting,  like  Hobbema's 
Avenue  of  Trees,  symmetry  takes  the  form  of  accurate  perspec- 
tive and  color  values;  while  in  literature,  sentences  like  those  of 


York  Minster. 


Lord  Macaulay  delight  the  sense  of  beauty  by  their  sonorous, 
complete,  rhythmic  roll.  Of  course  the  interpreter  can  hardly 
be  called  upon  to  produce  a  symmetry  which  is  absent  from  the 
composition  he  is  interpreting;  but  the  player  can  at  least  lend 
his  energies  toward  a  well-adjusted  effect  by  subordinating 
unimportant  passages  and  dwelling  upon  important  ones. 

There  are  three  classes  of  passages  which  engage  the  player's 

attention, — principal   passages,  transition  passages,  and  com- 

.    binations  of  these.     Those  of  the  first  class  include 

Passages  in  music 

divided  into  prin-    all  important  thcmcs  or  melodies,  and  even  strik- 

cipal,  transition,       .  ..  11,  •  ■       n 

and  combination  mg  remmisccnccs  01  thcsc, —  all  sections,  m  nne, 
passages.  which  are  ends  in  themselves,  which  are  presented 

for  their  intrinsic  beauty  or  significance,  and  not  merely  as  a 
means  for  reaching  some  coming  point  of  interest.     The  fugue 


PIANO  TEACHING 


113 


subject,  enunciated  with  a  (listin('tii(>ss  and  character  destined 
to  impress  it  indelibly  upon  the  auditor's  mind;  the  sonata 
themes,  contrasting  with  each  other  in  dramatic  and  lyric 
quality;  the  song  theme,  soulful  in  the  utterance  of  each  syllable 
and  rising  to  a  climax  of  intensity,  —  all   are  included  in  the 


HoBBEMA,  Avenue  of  Trees. — National  Galleky,  London, 

class  of  passages  which  should  hold  the  hearer  spell-bound,  and 
W'hich  he  should  leave  with  reluctance.  Introducing,  connect- 
ing, and  postluding  such  are  the  transition  sections,  sometimes 
mere  groups  of  flitting  notes  and  harmonies,  during  the  per- 
formance of  w^hich  the  hearer  must  be  kept  on  the  qui  vive  for 
a  sight  of  the  new  fields  toward  which  he  is  being  transported 
or  else  must  be  soothed  into  restfulness  after  a  strenuous  dra- 
matic climax.  The  pla^'ing  of  these  must  consequently  bear 
the  interest  constantly  forward.  Instead  of  lingering  over  indi- 
vidual charms,  the  performer  should  use  every  device  to  prod 
the  interest:  bits  of  the  coming  theme  should  be  emphasized; 
the  rhji;hm  should  stalk  on  unfalteringly;  and  only  when  the 
goal  is  apparently  in  sight  should  the  auditor  be  tantalized  by  a 
retardation  in  the  time,  a  hesitation  before  the  curtain  is  lifted. 
In  the  combination  passages  a  slight  relaxation  of  the  onward 
impulse  is  permitted,  while  strains  of  familiar  figures  are  heard 


114 


PIANO  TEACHING 


interwoven  in  the  unfolding  pattern,  or  new  thematic  material 
causes  a  momentary  lull. 

Analyze  with  me  Mendelssohn's  Venetian  Gondellied,   No.  12 

of  his  Songs  without  Words.     The  introductory  six  measures 

belong  to  the  transition  class:  they  give  an  index 

Analysis  of  Men-   to  what  is  in  prosDcct  by  initiat- 

delssohn's  Gon-  .  .  . 

deiiied,  No.  12  of  iug  the  rhythmic  swmg,  only  m- 

the  Songs  without    ,  ^     i    i,       xi        x  x  11 

Words.  terrupted  by  the  two-note  call: 

The  principal  theme  enters,  and  unfolds  in  two 
long  answering  phrases  of  eight  and  seven  measures,  respec- 
tively.    Now  a  transition  passage,  contrasting  in  style,  ascends 


CoROT,  Concert  Champetre.  —  The  Louvre. 


sequentially  to  a  climax  at  the  close  of  nine  measures, 
in  which  the  original  two-note  call  bursts  forth  vigorously, 
after  which  the  mood  is  softened,  during  six  measures,  by 
wavering  harmonies  that  bring  on  a  shortened  and  beautified 
reminiscence  of  the  first  subject,  which  comes  to  a  close  in  the 
seventh  measure.  The  lapping  of  the  waters  continues  for 
twelve  measures  more,  during  which  the  calls  of  the  boatmen 


PIANO   TEACHING  115 

recede  into  the  distance,  and  a  touch  of  the  tonic  chord  leaves 
us  in  peace. 

Here  is  balance,  contrast,  climax,  symmetry;  and  here  must 
be  also  one  more  factor,  namely,  atmosphere.  Each  composition 
must  reflect  a  prevailing  mood,  just  as  each  flower  The  unifying  fac- 
disseminates  its  perfume.  Every  true  work  of  art  '°'  °^  atmosphere. 
does  this:  the  mighty  cathedral  cultivates  the  feeling  of  reveren- 
tial awe;  the  simple  poem  calls  forth  our  tears  by  its  compelling 
pathos;  and  the  painting  of  Corot  as,  for  instance,  his  Concert 
Champetre  plunges  us  into  the  silver  mists  of  early  dawn. 
Thus  the  player  sets  the  final  seal  of  authority  upon  his  inter- 
pretation when  he  wraps  his  auditors  in  the  atmosphere  of 
poetic  emotion  which  he  expresses  through  his  fingers.  ''He 
who  can  enter  into  the  spirit  of  my  music,"  said  Beethoven, 
"will  be  beyond  the  reach  of  this  world's  misery."  The 
player  cannot  hope  to  gain  that  hypnotic  influence  over  his 
auditors  until  he  is  able  to  keep  his  mind  so  permeated  by  this 
"spirit,"  or  mood,  that  he  compels  them  to  subject  their  own 
thought  to  his. 

How,  then,  shall  you  induce  your  pupil  to  express  the  proper 
atmosphere  of  his  piece?  Perhaps  simply  by  telling  him  to 
hold  a  certain  conception  of  it  in  mind:  to  regard  Necessity  for 
it  steadily  during  his  performance  as  expressive  of  pu^iVlimgina-^ 
joy,  fear,  sadness,  mysticism,  or  combinations  of  *'°'^- 
these.  But  he  will  often  need  the  incentive  of  more  concrete 
ideas,  and  then  you  or  he  must  weave  stories  into  the  fabric  of 
the  tone-poem,  as  I  have  suggested  (page  36).  His  fingers  must 
tell  a  tale  of  knightly  adventure,  must  picture  the  winding  flow 
of  a  brook,  or  the  ripples  of  moonlight  on  the  water.  His 
imagination  must  be  stimulated,  if  he  is  to  play  with  any  vitality; 
he  must  see  a  goal  in  his  mind's  eye,  and  must  strive  steadily 
for  it.  As  an  instance  of  how  eagerly  the  pupil  will  grasp  such 
opportunities  when  presented  to  him,  try  him  with  a  short 
characteristic  piece  which  has  a  distinct  title,  like  one  of  Mac- 
Dowell's,  and  observe  how  his  enthusiasm  will  be  kindled  by 
the  suggestion. 

Let  us  just  here  inquire  what  is  meant  in  the  oft-repeated 


116  PIANO   TEACHING 

statement  that  "music  is  the  language  of  the  emotions."     A 

young  person  is  frequently  pointed  out  as  especially  talented 

^     for  music  because  he  puts  so  much  temperament 

Wrong  ideas  of       _  _  '  ' 

emotional  ex-  into  his  playing.  Perhaps  you  have  had  such 
pression.  prodigies  come  to  you  to  be  "finished,"  and  have 

discovered,  to  your  intense  disappointment,  that  what  were  con- 
sidered to  be  the  outpourings  of  genius  are  in  reality  unreasoning 
ravings  applied  to  all  kinds  of  music  alike,  and  accompanied 
by  utter  disregard  of  prescribed  rhythms,  phrases,  or  even  notes. 
If  you  can  succeed  in  regulating  these  "gushing"  tendencies, 
you  may  turn  them  into  profitable  channels;  but  it  is  too  often 
the  case  that  the  "genius"  refuses  to  adopt  methods  necessary 
for  persons  made  of  ordinary  clay,  and  so  goes  on  pouring  out 
his  soul  to  the  circle  of  admirers  who  are  satisfied  with  this 
conception  of  art. 

Let  us  recognize  the  fact  that  music  should  really  be  an 
expression,  not  of  unregulated  emotion,  which  means  a  kind 
Variety  in  emo-  of  insanity,  but  of  genuine  and  sincere  feelings; 
tionai  expression,  h^q^^  thcsc  fcclings,  covcriug  a  widc  area  of 
human  experiences,  should  therefore  be  of  great  variety  in 
kind  and  intensity;  and  that  the  interpreter,  of  them  should 
have  such  a  perfect  command  over  each  kind  which  he  portrays 
that  he  uses  it  knowingly  and  with  discrimination.  To  acquire 
that  nice  balance  which  results  in  the  appearance  of  an  unfet- 
tered expression  of  emotion,  while  no  suggestion  of  exaggera- 
tion or  striving  after  effect  is  allowed  to  enter,  is  indeed  the 
consummation  of  the  interpreter's  art,  and  few  there  are  who 
attain  it. 

Glancing,  then,  at  the  types  of  emotion  which  music  most 
commonly  depicts,  we  place  first  on  the  list  the  childlike. 
Childlike  emo-  Demanding  preeminently  the  effect  of  artlessness, 
*'°'^-  this  type  is  perhaps  the  most  difficult  of  all  to 

practice  successfully;  for  its  mortal  enemy  is  exaggeration. 
Quiet,  straightforward  tempi,  a  vital  and  cheerful  atmosphere 
with  only  an  occasional  cloud  effect,  and  a  general  avoidance  of 
startling  heights  and  depths  in  phraseology,  should  character- 
ize this  style.     For  examples,  we  have  Haydn's  and  Mozart's 


PIANO   TEACHING  117 

formal  lines  of  beauty;  Schubert's  ingenuous  Impromptus  and 
Moments  Musicals,  and  Schumaini's  Children's  Pieces,  Op.  15 
and  Op.  68.  Who  among  us  has  not  heard  the  delicate,  naive 
wanderings  of  the  Schumann  Trdunicrei  distorted  into  a  senti- 
mental frenzy  ? 

Schubert,  you  say,  was  capable  of  rising  to  much  greater 
lieights  than  the  merely  naive.  True:  he  many  times  threw 
op(Mi  the  door  to  those  more  mature  emotions  Deep  and  mature 
which  represent  the  evolution  of  the  artless  feel-  ^n^°"ons. 
ings  of  the  child  into  the  nobler  and  deeper  experiences  of  mature 
manhood.  Masters  of  such  emotions,  like  Bach,  Beethoven, 
Schumann,  and  Brahms,  demand  playing  which,  while  equally 
genuine  and  unaffected,  must  yet  be  tinged  with  profounder 
feeling,  with  the  sense  of  a  wide  knowledge  of  life's  joys  and 
sorrows,  and  a  sympathy  with  the  aspirations  of  mankind. 
The  youthful  pupil  may  be  given  a  taste  of  such  masters  in  their 
lighter  moods;  but  you  should  beware  of  burdening  him  with 
compositions  requiring  a  maturity  of  thought  unadapted  to  his 
years. 

Most  young  people,  on  the  other  hand,  enjoy  Mendelssohn. 
And  indeed  his  elegant,  refined  style,  demanding  the  display 
of  emotions  which  are  now  delicate  and  fanciful,    „    ,  , 

Mendelssohn's 

and  now  push  upward  toward  a  seriousness  of  refined  emotional 
thought  only  really  reached  by  a  Beethoven,  fur-  ^  ^  ^' 
nishes  opportunities  for  the  evolution  of  a  reserved  artistic  style. 
In  his  light,  fairy-like  music  Mendelssohn  is  not  far  from  ex- 
pressing the  bizarre,  mystic  moods  which  the  modern  French 
composers  reveal. 

So  we  are  brought  to  the  emotions  demanded  by  the  purely 
romantic  school,  in  which  abound  pictures  of  elves  at  play,  of 
witches  in  their  weird  incantations,  and  of  lovers'  Emotions  of  the 
soft  pleadings  under  the  moonlit  sky.  The  "-omantic  school, 
dangerous  tendencies  of  the  tempo  rubato  in  which  these 
delight  (page  86),  must  be  duly  realized;  and  while  the  soulful 
and  personal  elements  must  not  be  repressed,  they  must  at 
least  be  made  to  run  in  sane  grooves,  while  sentiment  must  not 
degenerate  into  sentimentality. 


118  PIANO   TEACHING 

More  healthful  for  the  young  pianist  are  the  compositions 
embodying  the  element  of  pure  vitality:  the  stirring  Polo- 
Pureiy  vital  emo-  naisc,  the  jolly  Giguc,  the  stately  Minuet.  The 
*'°°^-  quickening  of  the  pulse  which  the  swing  of  such 

music  induces  is  a  splendid  incentive  to  youthful  enthusiasm. 
Do  not  hesitate  to  give  your  boy-pupil  that  march  which  he 
covets:  it  will  satisfy  the  demands  of  his  fresh,  springing  nature, 
and  he  will  practice  it  with  animated  zeal.  Pushed  beyond  cul- 
tivated bounds,  this  vital  music  passes  from  the  restrictions  of 
civilization  and  voices  the  mood  of  primeval  man  exulting  in 
his  savage  state.  Liszt's  Rhapsodies  reveal  such  moods  as  this, 
glorying  in  their  lawlessness,  rising  to  chmaxes  of  unrestrained 
passion,  and  ruthlessly  throwing  aside  the  graces  which  human 
society  has  been  centuries  in  acquiring.  Such  music  is  not  for 
our  pupils;  it  is  not  our  office  to  turn  them  adrift  in  savage  seas. 

I  must  answer  your  query  as  to  the  proper  time  for  empha- 
sizing the  various  factors  conducive  to  unity  by  a  resume  of  the 
general  process  of  the  study  of  a  composition. 

When  should  the    ^  /  ,       .        t    i  •  i    /  rjr.\ 

elements  of  unity  Detailed  analysis,  I  have  said  (page  70),  comes 
e  taug  t .  g^^^^  .^^^  which  intricacies  of  technic  are  cleared  up 

by  piecemeal  practice  and  the  construction  and  expression  of 
the  individual  phrases  are  decided  upon.  Incidental  to  this 
last  process,  the  factors  of  balance  and  contrast  can  be  unfolded, 
while  that  of  climax  will  be  brought  out  in  each  division  of  the 
composition. 

It  is  at  this  point  that  memorizing  should  begin.  How  far 
should  this  be  carried,  you  ask?  I  answer,  as  extensively  as  pos- 
The  value  of  siblc.  In  Order  thoroughly  to  master  any  compo- 
memory  work.  sition,  the  succcssion  of  musical  thought  should  be 
fixed  in  the  mind  independently  of  the  printed  page.  Whether 
the  pupil  afterward  plays  entirely  from  memory  is  another 
matter.  Through  excessive  nervousness  he  may  require  the 
comfort  of  the  music  sheet  on  the  piano  rack,  in  order  to  avoid 
muscular  paralysis;  but  certainly  all  short  pieces,  and  at  least 
all  the  difficult  passages  of  long  ones,  should  be  memorized.  As 
to  those  pupils  who  avowedly  prefer  not  to  do  this  or  are  appar- 
ently lacking  in  the  faculty  to  do  so,  I  can  simply  say  that  you 


PIANO   TEACHING  119 

must  put  thorn  in  the  catc^^ory  of  those  whose  accomphshmonts 
are  strictly  limited,  although  even  with  these  an  occasional 
memorizing  of  special  phrases  may  lead  the  way  to  greater 
acquirements. 

You  nmst,  however,  flatly  discourage  that  kind  of  memorizing 
which  consists  in  desperate  attempts  to  get  through  a  piece 
without  the  notes,  after  these  have  becm  passably  ^^^^^  ^^^  ^^^^^ 
well  studied.  Even  if  a  pupil  can  accomplish  this  methods  of  memo- 
design  with  some  measure  of  success,  he  should  be 
shown  that  this  merely  instinctive  association  is  unreliable,  and 
unproductive  of  permanent  results.  For  the  chief  value  in  the 
memorizing  process,  as  I  have  intimated,  is  the  opportunity  it 
affords  for  a  thorough  and  minute  review  of  every  detail,  together 
with  a  realization  of  how  these  details  proceed  from  one  to 
another.  Thus,  a  system  of  memorizing  should  be  insisted  upon 
which  begins  first  with  analysis,  and  then  applies  the  con- 
structive process.  A  sample  of  such  a  system  may  be  found  in 
the  application  to  this  work  of  the  practice  system  on  page  22. 
It  is  not  generally  necessary  to  begin  with  the  hands  separate, 
but  note  carefully  that  each  measure  or  group  of  measures 
should  be  played  distinctly  twice  with  the  notes,  before  the  pupil 
plays  looking  at  his  fingers.  Or,  better  still,  instead  of  single 
measures,  figures,  clauses,  and  finally  long  phrases  and  sections 
can  be  thus  treated.  Much  is  made  by  some  teachers  of  similar 
memory  work  away  from  the  piano  by  the  study  of  each  inter- 
val and  voice  progression.  Whether  or  no  this  work  be  done 
at  the  outset,  the  final  test  of  memory  should  be  conducted  by 
thinking  through  the  entire  passage  away  from  the  piano.  The 
player,  too,  in  memorizing  is  apt  to  place  his  attention  upon  one 
hand  more  than  upon  the  other,  and  is  afterward  disturbed  if 
he  attempts  to  observe  the  neglected  hand.  Try  playing  each 
hand  in  turn  with  the  ordinary  tone  while  the  other  silently 
goes  through  its  motions  on  top  of  the  keys,  as  a  remedy  for 
this. 

At  each  lesson,  therefore,  you  assign  a  definite  passage  for 
memory  work  until  the  composition  is  complete.  It  is  then  best 
to  lay  it  aside  for  a  few  weeks,  so  that  the  pupil  may  put  on 


120  PIANO  TEACHING 

the  finishing  touches  with  fresh  enthusiasm.  With  technical  diffi- 
culties now  relegated  to  the  background,  he  is  able  to  adjust 
The  final  unify-  the  Symmetry  of  the  parts,  and  to  throw  himself 
ing  touches.  jj-^^q  ^j^g  proper  emotional  condition  necessary  for 

the  creation  of  the  suggested  atmosphere.  Illustrating  to  him 
at  the  piano,  you  will  emphasize  crucial  points,  showing  how 
the  attention  should  be  held  spellbound  upon  this  exquisite 
chord,  or  hurried  to  the  catastrophe  of  that  thrilling  climax; 
in  short,  you  incite  him  to  play  the  composition  not  as  a 
mass  of  writhing  notes,  but  as  a  vivid  presentment  of  a  few 
broadly  moving  thoughts. 

I  have  thus  attempted  to  show  how  necessary  is  a  unified 

conception  of  a  composition  to  any  presentment  of  its  value  as 

an  art  work,   and  how,  moreover,   devices  like 

Summary. 

balance,  contrast,  climax,  symmetry,  and  atmos- 
phere, common  to  all  the  arts,  are  yet  especially  essential  com- 
ponents of  a  musical  work,  both  in  its  composition  and  in  its 
interpretation.  Of  these  devices,  that  of  atmosphere,  above  all, 
demands  an  appreciation  of  various  types  of  emotion,  such  as 
the  childlike,  the  mature,  the  intellectual,  the  mystic,  the  roman- 
tic, and  the  vital,  which  the  player  must  learn  to  employ  with 
the  finesse  and  discrimination  of  the  accomplished  actor.  In 
the  study  of  a  piece  its  unity  should  be  suggested  as  the  pupil 
proceeds  to  build  his  phrases  together.  The  process  of  memoriz- 
ing, however,  should  prepare  him  for  the  final  touches;  and 
then,  after  he  has  been  allowed  to  rest  his  mind  from  the  routine 
of  continuous  practice  upon  the  composition,  he  will  be  prepared 
to  invest  it  with  the  proper  perspectives  of  its  parts  and  with 
its  fitting  emotional  environment. 


CHAPTER  IX 
The   Public   Performances  of   Pupils 

In  all  that  has  hitherto  been  said  it  has  been  tacitly  assumed 
that  the  primary  object  of  piano  study  is  to  enable  the  per- 
former to  communicate  thoueht,  in  the  form  of  ,       ,         . 

^      '  Importance  or 

music,  to  other  minds.     A  few  pupils  study  osten-  teaching  how  to 

perform  in  public. 

sil)ly  only  for  self-amusement  or  self-culture;  but 
even  these,  inasmuch  as  they  act  the  role  of  interpreters,  can 
play  their  parts  with  added  intelligence  if  they  at  least  imagine 
the  presence  of  auditors.  As,  therefore,  the  chief  end  of  your 
teaching  is  to  enable  your  pupils  to  put  their  accomplishment 
to  its  practical  and  legitimate  use,  and  as  this  final  application 
involves  many  unique  problems  of  its  own,  it  is  evident  that 
you  should  regard  the  preparation  for  public  performance  as  an 
important  and  essential  part  of  your  teaching,  and  that  you 
should  give  careful  attention  to  this  culmination  of  your  work. 
It  is  perhaps  well  to  emphasize  this  fact,  since  many  teachers 
seem  to  regard  their  duty  as  completed  if  they  ground  their 
pupils  well  in  the  principles  of  technic  and  phrasing,  and  then 
leave  them  to  solve  for  themselves  the  most  difficult  problem 
of  all,  namely,  how  to  make  their  music  arrest  the  attention  of 
other  minds,  and  dominate  over  them  for  the  time  being. 

The  task  before  you,  briefly  stated,  is  this:  to  teach  your 
pupil  so  to  concentrate  his  thought  primarily  on  the  expres- 
sion of  ideas,  and  secondarily  on  his  finger  move-  Essential  and  non- 
ments  as  the  agents  of  such  expression,  that  he  is  essential  thoughts 
oblivious  to  all  surrounding  circumstances.  In 
his  ordinary  practice  routine  he  is  accustomed  to  sit  in  a  room 
by  himself,  with  his  sheet  of  music  always  in  the  same  place  on 
the  music  rack,  upon  the  same  stool,  and  at  the  same  piano, 
with  the  same  furniture,  bric-a-brac,  and  wall  paper  within  his 
range  of  vision.     All  these  attendant  objects  are  really  forming 

121 


122  PIANO  TEACHING 

in  his  mind  a  background  to  his  playing.  If  anything  should 
be  changed,  if  the  clock  should  stop  ticking,  or  a  new  picture 
should  be  hung  where  he  could  see  it,  he  would  probably  be 
somewhat  disturbed  in  his  mental  equilibrium. 

But  if  his  playing  is  to  have  a  wider  application,  he  must 
learn  to  fix  his  mind  only  upon  its  essential  features,  and  to 
Mental  disturb-  cling  to  these.  Uninfluenced  by  superficial  ele- 
^he"presem:e  of  uicnts.  His  work  iu  memorizing  will  help  to  free 
auditors.  j^jj^  from  the  printed  page.     He  must  also,  how- 

ever, accustom  himself  to  the  use  of  other  pianos  of  make  and 
touch  different  from  his  own,  placed,  moreover,  in  different 
localities.  He  will  be  helped  in  this  matter  if  he  comes  to  your 
house  for  lessons;  and  he  will  still  further  broaden  his  experience 
by  playing  at  the  houses  of  his  friends.  The  most  disturbing 
factor,  however,  is  introduced  in  the  person  of  an  auditor. 
Then,  indeed,  he  feels  some  of  the  sensations  of  one  learning 
to  swim  when  he  realizes  that  the  cork  on  which  he  is  relying 
has  been  removed.  An  awful  consciousness  of  self  rises  up 
before  him,  obliterating  all  the  precepts  and  principles  so  care- 
fully taught  him,  and  he  plunges  on,  relying  on  blind  instinct 
to  keep  him  afloat. 

It  is  this  last-named  l^ugbear  in  the  form  of  human  listeners 

which  you  must  especially  assist  him  to  combat,  since  upon  the 

result  of  the  struggle  will  depend  his  future  as  a 

The  pupil's  atti-  °°  * 

tude  toward  an  performer.  If  he  be  by  nature  undaunted  in  the 
face  of  danger,  your  task  will  be  easy;  if  he  be 
nervous  and  excitable,  it  will  require  infinite  tact;  but  in  either 
case  he  must  be  accustomed  to  the  apparent  foe  by  easy  and 
safe  stages,  until  he  comes  to  regard  what  seemed  vindictively 
hostile  as  a  sympathetic  friend,  the  inspirer  of  his  best  efforts. 
You  yourself,  of  course,  have  occupied  the  position  of  stran- 
ger-auditor for  a  time,  until  he  has  become  so  habituated  to 
Playing  to  imagi-  your  presence  and  criticisms  that  they  have  taken 
nary  audiences,  their  placc  in  his  accustomed  surroundings.  Let 
him  now  put  his  imagination  to  work.  When  a  piece,  or  a  divi- 
sion of  a  piece,  approaches  the  completed  stage,  let  him  perform 
it  to  you  while  you  assume  the  character  of  an  audience  during 


PIANO   TEACHING  123 

tho  losson.  Station  yourself  at  some  distance  from  him,  and 
tell  liini  to  express  the  ideas  of  the  piece  to  you  as  if  you  had 
never  iieard  it,  taking  pains  to  make  each  important  theme  clear 
in  its  outlines,  and  to  convey  the  proper  mood  throughout. 
Encourage  him  to  try  a  similar  experience  at  home,  by  imagining 
his  audience.  I  had  a  pupil  once  who  used  to  boast  of  her 
ability  to  induce  a  cold  perspiration  by  placing  chairs  about  her 
and  peopling  them  mentally  with  listeners.  If  parents  or  sym- 
pathetic friends  will  occasionally  take  the  place  of  such  mystic 
auditors,  the  experience  can  be  made  more  fruitful.  Another 
of  my  pupils,  in  studying  the  Bach  Fugues,  after  technical  points 
had  been  well  mastered,  tested  her  interpretations  by  her 
mother's  ability  to  hear  the  whole  number  of  subject-entrances. 

The  actual  appearance  of  your  pupil  before  a  crowd  of  wit- 
nesses involves  such  important  results,  both  for  his  own  future 
as  a  player  and  for  your  reputation  as  a  teacher.  Necessity  for  care- 
that  you  should  insist  upon  the  fulfillment  of  cer-  b^'forrpubiirper- 
tain  conditions  before  he  is  allowed  to  undertake  formance. 
this  responsibility.  Stage-fright,  resulting  in  a  complete  break- 
down or  in  a  gibberish  of  rushing  notes,  represents  only  one  of  a 
long  list  of  catastrophes  of  which  the  danger  is  incurred,  and  of 
which  the  outcome  is  both  the  discouragement  of  the  pupil  and 
the  discomfiture  of  the  audience.  Pupils  as  a  rule  have  not 
the  smallest  conception  of  the  amount  of  work  done  by  an  artist 
in  preparation  for  a  concert  performance.  Noting  the  ease  and 
grace  with  which  the  fingers  of  a  De  Pachmann  glide  over  the 
keys,  they  eliminate  entirely  the  weeks  of  patient,  minute  study 
which  have  preceded  such  feats  of  dexterity,  and,  laughing  at 
the  old-fogyish,  snail-like  methods  of  their  teacher,  launch  out 
boldly  in  pursuit  of  their  distinguished  ideals,  —  quickly  to 
founder  on  one  of  the  numerous  reefs  in  the  way. 

The  choice  of  a  piece  comes  first  on  the  hst  of  preparations. 
It  must  be  one  which  would  naturally  prove  attractive  to  hear- 
ers, one  which  the  pupil  himself  likes,  and  one  ^     . 

Considerations 

entirely  within  his  al)ility.     The  first  of  these  con-  affecting  the 
ditions  can  be  least  regarded,  for  what  the  pupil     °^^°  ^  p'^'^®- 
likes  and  plays  well  will  generally  be  acceptable.     But  the 


124  PIANO   TEACHING 

character  of  the  entertainment  and  the  position  of  the  piece 
on  the  program  must  affect  your  choice.  If  it  is  to  be  simply 
an  opening  number,  to  attract  attention,  brightness  and  rhyth- 
mic vigor  are  determining  elements;  if,  however,  the  audience 
is  to  be  a  musical  one,  and  the  piece  comes  in  a  place  where 
attention  should  be  already  secured,  a  quiet  and  soulful  selec- 
tion may  be  appropriate.  A  pupil,  too,  generally  likes  whatever 
he  can  play  well.  However  intrinsically  beautiful  the  composi- 
tion, if  it  eludes  his  hardest  endeavors  to  make  it  his  own,  it  is 
natural  that  he  should  come  to  regard  it  with  disfavor.  But 
there  is  a  dangerous  class  of  compositions  which  he  would  like 
to  perform  because  he  wants  his  playing  to  sound  as  pretentious 
as  possible,  but  which  he  can  only  barely  get  through,  under 
the  most  favorable  conditions.  These  should  be  scrupulously 
avoided  in  favor  of  a  piece  of  which  his  fingers  have  perfect 
control,  and  in  the  playing  of  which  he  can  consequently  direct 
his  best  thought  upon  the  expression.  The  test  of  the  piece 
should  be  his  ability  to  play  its  most  difficult  passages  with 
entire  ease.  Moreover,  the  piece  should  have  gone  through  all 
stages  of  practice:  the  technical,  the  phrasing,  the  memorizing, 
and  the  unifying;  and  it  should  have  been  laid  aside  and  resumed 
again  several  times.  In  the  case  of  his  debut  as  a  performer,  it 
would  even  be  well  to  choose,  if  possible,  a  piece  which  he  had 
learned  the  previous  year,  and  which  had  thus  been  for  a  long 
time  ingrained  into  his  mind. 

Make  sure,   also,   that  the  circumstances  under  which  the 
pupil  is  to  play  are  such  that  he  will  not  be  placed  at  a  dis- 
advantage.    If  the  audience  is  to  be  one  which 

The  audience,  the        .,,         .  i         ,  .  ,  • 

style  and  condi-  Will  evidently  pay  no  attention  to  the  piano  selec- 
tion of  the  piano       ,•  •  c  j.\  •      •      •  xii-i  •    a.      ^      ^      j. 

as  factors  m  the  tiou,  II  this  IS  inserted  plainly  as  an  mterlude  to 
pupil  s  perform-      promotc  coiivcrsation,  or  if  the  other  numbers  on 

ance.  ^  _  '       _ 

the  program  will  make  his  performance  seem  triv- 
ial or  ridiculous,  you  should  discourage  him  from  taking  part. 
The  best  opportunities  for  his  first  appearances  are  those  which 
you  furnish  him  yourself,  and  in  which  your  guiding  hand  is  felt 
throughout.  To  these  I  shall  shortly  refer  more  explicitly.  It  is 
likewise  important  to  look  after  the  piano  he  is  to  use.     Do  not 


PIANO   TEACH  I XG  125 

allow  him  to  play  on  one  that  is  hopelessly  worn-out,  or  that 
has  a  (lull,  muffled  a]i()l()j2;y  for  a  tone.  If  it  be  an  upright,  it 
should  have  a  bright,  free  tone  and  action;  a  grand  piano,  how- 
ever, will  be  better,  even  though  he  be  more  accustomed  to  the 
former  style,  since  its  firmer  action  will  be  more  likely  to  furnish 
a  foundation  that  will  withstand  the  increased  nervous  force 
with  which  he  will  be  animated.  Certainly  it  should  be  in  tune. 
Do  not  trust  to  committees  to  look  after  this  condition,  or  a  series 
of  ear-rending  discords  will  be  a  probable  effect  of  his  playing, 
but  see  that  a  competent  tuner  makes  his  presence  felt  a  few 
hours  before  the  concert. 

Then  must  come  the  full-dress  rehearsal.  From  a  list  of 
bitter  experiences  I  conjure  you  never  to  allow  a  pupil  to  per- 
form in  public  with  your  sanction  unless  he  has  conduct  of  the 
rehearsed  his  piece  upon  the  piano  on  which  he  is  ^^'  rehearsal . 
to  play,  and  in  the  very  spot  in  which  he  is  to  play  it.  And  not 
only  should  he  play  the  piece  through,  but  he  should  also  simu- 
late all  the  circumstances  of  the  actual  performance.  Teach 
him  how  to  approach  and  leave  the  stage.  Have  him  walk  out 
boldly  to  the  front,  make  a  bow,  and  seat  himself  at  the  piano 
from  the  side  nearest  the  audience;  likewise  at  closing,  let  him 
rise,  turn  toward  the  audience,  make  his  bow,  and  walk, 
not  run,  oE  the  stage.  IVIuch  of  the  amateurish  cast  of  a  per- 
formance comes  from  an  awkward  entrance  and  exit.  The 
pupil  looks  foolish,  makes  a  lopsided  bow  while  in  the  act  of 
walking  along,  if  he  makes  any  bow  at  all,  and  finally  rushes 
away  as  though  he  were  running  for  a  train.  Teach  him  to 
stand  still  before  bowing,  and  to  assume  something  of  a  gracious 
expression. 

Then  as  to  his  mental  attitude.     Here  your  positive  system 
of  teaching  (page  31)  can  be  put  to  good  use.     Tell  him  what 
to  think  of  while  playing,  and  not  what  to  avoid.    Cental  attitude 
Tell  him  to  pause  a  little  after  he  seats  himself  at   of  the  pupii before 

.  an  audience. 

the  piano,  and  to  thmk  what  is  the  mood  which 
he  is  to  simulate.     Then  let  him  try  to  say  something  to  his 
hearers  with  each  phrase  of  his  music.     Of  course  he  will  feel 
nervous;  no  player  can  do  his  best  before  an  audience  without 


126  PIANO   TEACHING 

some  such  stimulus;  but  show  him  how  to  control  his  excite- 
ment. Let  him  think  continually  of  keeping  his  arms  relaxed, 
and  let  him  hold  back  his  strength  so  that  he  will  not  end  his 
piece  with  an  anti-climax. 

"But,"  you  say,  " can  anything  prevent  stage-fright?"  There 
are  some  stubborn  cases  of  this,  I  admit.  When  your  tyro  first 
Precautions  marchcs  out  before  the  inquisition  of  those  rows 

against  stage-  of  mercilcss  cyes,  you  can  only  hold  your  breath 
and  wonder  what  will  be  his  succeeding  evolutions. 
It  will  be  l^etter  if  he  be  not  allowed  to  catch  his  first  glimpse  of 
the  crowd  thus  alone  and  unprotected.  Let  him  play  a  duet 
with  you  for  his  first  attempt,  and  so  mitigate  the  primal  shock. 
Then  j^ou  may  trust  to  careful  preparation,  to  confidence  in 
his  knowledge  of  the  piece,  and  to  the  advice  you  have  given 
him  as  to  his  mental  attitude,  to  tide  him  safely  over.  Armed 
thus  at  all  points,  he  must,  however,  assume  the  final  respon- 
sibility alone.  Be  careful,  then,  not  to  produce  him  at  the  most 
important  occasions  until  his  mettle  has  been  w^U  proven. 

"And  what  about  pupil-recitals?"  you  remind  me.  May  I 
have  the  pleasure  of  your  company  to  Miss  Fitzbang's  annual 
A  bad  example  of  cvcut?  This  estimable  lady  has  spent  the  entire 
a  pupii-recitai.  ^^^^  jj-^  preparations  for  this.  Each  pupil  has  for 
weeks  hammered  away  at  his  forthcoming  "stunt,"  which  is  a 
long  and  showy  piece,  a  former  war  horse  of  virtuosi,  and  admi- 
rably calculated  to  impress  the  public  by  its  very  name  on  the 
program.  It  is  a  perspiring  evening  in  June;  and  as  we  seat 
ourselves  ]:)ehind  a  pair  of  picture  hats  which  furnish  most  of 
the  scenario  to  our  gaze,  we  quail  upon  the  j^erusal  of  the  list  of 
thirty-five  numbers  spread  out  for  our  delectation.  A  half- 
hour  late  the  first  dehutnnte  appears,  clad  in  a  dazzlingly  new 
frock,  and  begins  the  long  series  of  wrestling  matches  in  which 
Miss  Fitz]3ang's  -proteges  engage  in  noisy  but  hopeless  struggles 
with  their  invincible  adversaries.  The  efforts  of  each  are  re- 
warded by  rapturous  applause  from  the  quarter  of  the  salon 
in  which  special  friinids  are  congregated,  and  flowers  are  deftly 
presented  by  the  ushers,  the  worst  players  invariably  receiving 
the  largest  bouquets,  apparently  as  consolation  prizes.     At  ten 


PIANO   TEACHING  127 

o'clock  we  guiltily  slink  away,   as  the  twentieth  number  is 
completed. 

But  yet,  do  not  be  in  haste  to  condemn  the  pupil-recital  from 
this  example  of  it.  Let  us  see  what  m.ay  be  its  advantages,  and 
how  we  may  make  use  of  them.  If  you  are  to  Advantages  in  , 
give  your  pupil  the  important  knowledge  of  the  w^hen'^righUy' con- 
proper  way  to  play  in  public,  how  better  can  you  <i"cted. 
do  this  than  by  yourself  furnishing  the  occasion  and  circum- 
stances of  his  appearance?  Then,  too,  what  an  incentive  is 
added  to  the  pupil's  labors  as  the  future  recital  looms  close 
at  hand,  and  what  a  stimulus  does  he  receive  from  such  art 
outward  and  visible  sign  of  the  practical  value  of  your  instruc- 
tions! Besides,  you  are  permitted  an  insight  into  his  real  ability, 
unobtainable  in  any  other  way,  by  thus  testing  him  under  fire. 
I  have  seen  pupils,  for  instance,  upon  whom  I  had  firml}^  pinned 
my  faith,  retire  from  the  stage  with  scarcely  a  hand-clap  of 
approval,  while  others  developed  an  unexpected  magnetism 
which  electrified  their  auditors  into  outspoken  enthusiasm. 
Neither  should  we  despise  that  element  of  advertising  which 
]\Iiss  Fitz]:)ang  so  deifies,  and  which  nevertheless  results  more 
slowly  but  more  surely  from  less  bombastic  methods. 

There  is  one  danger  against  which  we  must  guard  with  all 
our  might,  however,  namely,  that  of  exalting  the  element  of 
display.     The  very  idea  of  interpretation  implies  ^^^^^j  ^f  ^ver- 
that  the  individuality  of  the  performer  should  be  emphasizing  the 

element  of  display. 

lield  secondary  to  the  message  which  he  has  to 
impart.  The  pupil  should,  therefore,  be  taught  that,  in  order 
to  advance  as  an  interpreter,  the  foundations  of  his  work  should 
l)c  laid  in  a  broad  and  catholic  musical  comprehension.  Thus, 
while  the  legitimate  end  of  the  study  of  a  piece  consists  in  the 
pupil's  performance  of  it  before  others,  in  preparing  for  this 
event  he  should  be  mainly  occupied  with  thorough  foundational 
work.  His  playing  of  a  piece,  therefore,  should  represent  only 
an  incident  in  his  study  of  it;  and  while  finishing  one  piece,  he 
should  yet  be  largely  occupied  in  the  preliminary  study  of 
other  compositions.  Thus  it  is  a  narrowing  and  one-sided 
policy  to  concentrate  his  entire  attention  upon  a  single  piece 


128  PIANO  TEACHING 

for  weeks  before  its  production;  and  it  is  a  much  wiser  plan  not 
to  allow  any  such  considerations  to  interrupt  or  checkmate  his 
regular  course  of  study. 

Accordingly,  our  pupil-recitals  will  be  strictly  incidental  to 
the  routine  work,  and  will  be  made  up  of  selections  which  hap- 
Consideration  for  pen  to  be  at  the  point  of  completion.  And  can 
audiences.  ^^^  ^^^  gj^g  thesc  TGcitals  some  real  interest  to 

those  who  attend  them  beside  that  which  proceeds  from  parental 
solicitude?  There  are  moments,  I  fear,  when  our  poor  audiences 
are  doomed  to  be  bored;  but  let  us,  in  the  cause  of  suffering 
humanity,  make  these  as  few  as  possible.  Do  not  put  items 
on  the  program  about  which  you  cherish  grave  doubts.  Find 
out  what  pupils  can  do  before  foisting  them  upon  the  unsus- 
pecting public.  Why  not  let  them  try  their  wings  at  some  sort 
of  preliminary  recitals?  I  have  known  teachers  who  have 
successfully  gathered  together  a  number  of  their  pupils  at  inter- 
vals of  a  month  or  so  during  the  season,  and  have  given  them 
a  pleasant  hour  by  discoursing  on  some  musical  topic,  serving 
light  refreshments,  and  letting  them  play  to  each  other.  If  in- 
dividual successes  are  then  noted,  a  program  may  be  easily 
constructed  for  presentation  at  a  more  formal  occasion.  Un- 
less you  have  pupils  of  extraordinary  achievements,  too,  do  not 
bring  them  out  with  a  flourish  of  trumpets  in  a  large  hall. 
You  may  by  so  doing  score  a  popular  success,  but  you  cannot 
possibly  gain  an  artistic  one. 

Make  up  a  program  from  the  regular  work  of  your  students; 

let  it  be  short,  barely  an  hour  in  length;  let  it  be  well-balanced 

and  nicely  contrasted  in  its  construction;  let  your 

Conditions  which  i        c      i         i>  •        i  j  ii 

will  insure  sue-  audieuce  be  composed  of  the  friends  and  well- 
"^^"  wishers  of  the  pupils,  and  you  need  have  no  fears 

for  the  outcome.  Your  recitals  may  be  conducted,  too,  upon 
a  scale  commensurate  to  their  importance:  the  beginners  or  the 
elementary  pupils  may  appear  informally  at  your  own  music 
room,  while  the  more  advanced  may  perform  to  a  larger  audi- 
ence. Sometimes  verbal  invitations  to  the  recital  will  suffice; 
oftener  a  printed  invitation  will  give  more  dignity;  while  you 
may,  for  exceptional  occasions,  put  a  price  upon  your  tickets. 


PIANO   TEACHING  129 

Three  bases  for  the  construction  of  a  program  are  in  favor,  — 
the  "one  composer,"  the  historical,  and  the  cHmactic.  Pro- 
grams based  on  the  works  of  one  man  or  of  one  How  to  plan  a 
school  are  apt  to  become  monotonous  to  the  gen-  p'^^k'^*™- 
eral  band  of  hearers  through  lack  of  variety.  The  third  form, 
that  of  a  heterogeneous  program  designed  to  grow  in  attractive- 
ness as  it  progresses,  has  greater  possibilities,  and  may  also 
involve  the  historical  element,  if  the  date  of  each  composer's 
birth  and  death  be  placed  beside  his  name. 

The  plan  for  such  a  general  program  demands  that  compo- 
sitions be  placed  in  conjunction  with  one  another  which  are 
written  in  contrasting  styles  or  keys.     A  series  ^ 

_  Contrasting  selec- 

of  nocturnes  or  of  waltzes,  for  instance,  would  be  tions  on  the  pro- 
insufferable.  Contrasts  should  not  be  so  great,  *^'^™' 
however,  as  to  be  ludicrous:  a  Chopin  Polonaise  followed  by  a 
Dollie's  Dream  would  offer  an  impossible  jump.  Again,  you 
should  avoid  putting  all  the  dull  pieces  together  at  the  beginning 
and  reserving  the  brilliant  flights  for  the  end,  for  your  audience 
might  become  so  hopelessly  melancholy  that  nothing  could 
cheer  them.  Sprinkle  your  bright  pieces  through  the  program, 
therefore,  reserving  a  chef-d'oeuvre  for  the  last.  As  to  the  general 
scheme,  you  cannot  do  better  than  to  follow  the  principle  of 
the  sonata.  Put  the  pieces  which  are  most  difficult  to  under- 
stand near  the  beginning,  and  let  your  program  become  grad- 
ually lighter  as  it  advances,  so  that  a  brilliant  and  rhythmic 
style  marks  the  close. 

Here  is  a  program  for  little  folk: 
Solos :  — 

(1)  Sonatina  Xo.  1,  in  G  major Beethoven 

(2)  Spanish  Dance,  Op.  61,  No.  10 Oesten  A  children's 

(3)  Melody  in  C Thome  program. 

(4)  Waltz,  Op.  101,  No.   11 Gurlitt 

(5)  The  Merry-go-round,  Op.  6,  No.  2 L.  E.  Orth 

Duet:  — 

(6)  Sonatina  Op.  163,  No.  4 DiabelU 

Solos:  — 

(7)  Hedge  Roses,  arr.  from  Op.  3,  No.  1 Schubert 

(8)  MiHtarv  March,  Op.  229,  No.  3 ' Sartorio 

(9)  The  Evening  Bell,  Op.  62,  No.  9 Kullak 

(10)  Gavotte  in  C  major Reinecke 

(11)  First  Loss,  Op.  68,  No.  16 Schumann 

(12)  The  Butterfly Lege 


130  PIANO   TEACHING 

For  pupils  of  about  the  third  grade,  a  program  of  this  sort 
is  suggested: 

Solos :  — 

(1)  Sonata  in  C  major,  first  movement Moznrt  (1756-1791) 

A  slightly  more          (2)   Barcarola  in  F,  No.  2  of  Kinder  Album 
advanced  program.  Bossi  (1861-  ) 

(3)  Gavotte  from  third  English  Suite Bach  (1685-1750) 

(4)  Albumleaf,  Op.  12,  No.  7 Grieg  (1843-1907) 

(5)  Elfin  Dance,  Op.  33,  No.  5 Jensen  (1837-1879) 

Duet:  — 

(6)  The  Lake,  Book  I,  No.  7 D'Ourville 

Solos:  — 

(7)  Gipsy  Rondo Haijdn  (1732-1809) 

(8)  To  a  Wild  Rose,  No.  1  of  Woodland  Sketches 

MacDowell  (1861-1908) 

(9)  Waltz  in  D  flat,  Op.  64,  No.  1 Chopin  (1810-1849) 

(10)  Moment  Musical,  Op.  94,  No.  3 Schubert  (1797-1828) 

(11)  Idilio. Lack  (1846-         ) 

(12)  Arlequine Chaminade  (1861-         ) 

The  duets  on  these  programs  are  best  played  by  teacher  and 
pupil.  It  is  a  difficult  and  hazardous  attempt  to  drive  elemen- 
Concerted  pieces  tary  pupils  ill  pairs,  since  each  incites  the  other 
on  the  program.  ^^  ecceiitricities.  But  if  your  guiding  hand 
steadies  one  part,  the  pupil's  confidence  will  be  strengthened, 
and  he  will  be  nerved  for  more  ambitious  projects.  In  programs 
involving  more  difficult  music  your  range  of  variety  is  enlarged. 
Perhaps  you  may  find  it  possible  to  employ  two  pianos  for  more 
elaborate  concerts,  in  which  case  the  opportunity  will  be  pre- 
sented for  performing  with  the  pupil  four-hand  music  written 
for  two  pianos  or  for  playing  the  second  piano  part  while  he 
exploits  a  movement  of  a  piano  concerto.  Some  teachers  form 
classes  for  the  practice  of  eight-hand  music,  which  can  be  made 
an  attractive  feature  of  a  program.  This  work  requires  much 
drilling  on  your  part,  but  is  a  powerful  factor  in  promoting 
enthusiasm  in  the  direction  of  sight-reading. 

I  have  not  mentioned  the  variety  in  piano  recitals  which  is 
evolved  from  outside  assistance.  Occasionally  a  singer  or  a 
Outside  assistance  violiuist  may  relieve  your  program  by  a  number 
at  a  pupii-recitai.  ^j.  ^^q-  jj^t  j^ou  must  be  careful  that  such  inno- 
vations are  not,  on  the  one  hand,  of  so  brilliant  a  nature  as  to 
overshadow  the  pupils'  work,  and  that,  on  the  other,  they  may 


PIANO  TEACHING  131 

bo  of  suffieiont  valiK^  to  afford  a  real  element  of  interest.  Per- 
haps your  vocalist  or  violinist  friend  may  wish  to  add  his  pupils 
to  yours  in  a  joint  reeital.  If  you  assent  to  this  attractive 
proposition,  however,  do  so  with  the  reservation  that  the  pro- 
gram must  not  be  unduly  lengthened. 

Since  class-work  may  become  a  powerful  factor  toward  public 
performance,  it  may  well  claim  our  further  attention  at  this 
point.  The  ordinary  course  of  piano  instruction  Difficulties  of 
is  sometimes  applied  to  small  groups  of  pupils,  teaching m classes. 
I  have  occasionally  given  "double"  lessons  to  two  students  of 
nearly  equal  attainments  by  explaining  and  assigning  the  same 
teclmjcal  figures  to  both,  and  then  by  criticizing  each  one's 
further  work  while  the  other  acted  as  listener.  With  the  pres- 
ence of  still  other  pupils,  the  individual  instruction  must  be 
considerably  curtailed,  while  the  mental  concentration  which 
is  so  important  for  progress  is  apt  to  be  disturbed ;  hence  it  may 
be  doubted  whether  such  a  plan  is  an  unqualified  success. 

There  is  a  form  of  cooperative  instruction,  however,  which 
may  be  of  inestimable  value  to  your  students,  and  which  might 
be  ideality  introduced  into  any  course.  This  takes  classes  in  inter- 
the  form  of  occasional  analytical  and  interpre-  p^'s'^""'*- 
tative  class-lessons.  The  private  pupils  are  divided  into  com- 
panies consisting  of  from  four  to  six  pupils  each,  and  these 
groups  meet  at  intervals  of  two  or  four  weeks  for  the  discussion 
of  the  music  which  each  member  is  studying.  In  an  hour's 
session,  each  one  plays  the  piece  or  part  of  a  piece  which  she 
has  prepared,  and  you  then  proceed  to  bring  out  its  salient 
points  by  questions  and  suggestions.  No  searching  criticisms 
as  to  individual  technic  or  interpretation  need  be  employed, 
since  such  points  can  be  treated  privately  and  personal  remarks 
will  only  tend  to  embarrass  the  participants. 

Cards  on  which  the  list  of  topics  for  discussion  is  printed 
should  be  provided.     Before  each  selection  is  rendered,  the 
title  and  the  name  and  dates  of  its  composer  are  Manner  in  which 
jotted  down  upon  one  of  these,  while  any  his-  cuss"d7n  these 
torical  items  of  interest  may  incidentally  be  men-  classes. 
tioned.     The  playing  over,  you  proceed  to  discuss  the  form  in 


132  PIANO  TEACHING 

which  the  composition  is  written,  noting  its  divisions  by  the 
letters  a,  b,  c,  and  so  forth,  with  a  statement  of  the  principal 
keys  in  which  these  parts  are  written.  The  students  are  then 
asked  to  describe  melodic  values:  to  tell  whether  the  melodies 
are  vocal  or  instrumental  in  style,  whether  they  are  thematic  or 
rambling,  martial  or  pathetic,  clear  or  obscure.  Similarl}^ 
the  harmony  is  found  to  be  thin  or  full,  normal  or  eccentric, 
diatonic  or  chromatic.  In  the  discussion  of  the  rhythm  the 
time-divisions  of  the  principal  theme  may  be  fixed  by  writing 
notes  of  the  proper  values,  underscored  by  numbers  showing 
the  degrees  of  the  scale  on  which  these  occur.  The  style  of  the 
entire  composition  may  now  be  summed  up  as  classic,  romantic, 
quiet,  brilliant,  contrasting,  and  so  forth.  The  cards  may  finally 
be  arranged  in  alphabetical  order  and  kept  as  permanent 
records.     Here  is  one  thus  filled  out:  — 


Class  Lessons  with  Miss   Grant 

Dnfr       March  29,  1910 


Composer 

Composition. 


Beethoven,  L.  van,  1770-1827 


Sonata,  Op.  2,  No.  1,  3d  movement. 


Keys f,A^f;F,C,F;f,Ab,f 


Form. 


14  :I   26  :|  ID  :I23  :|14    26 


Instrumental,  in  short  groups 


Melody^ 

Harmony Conventional 


•^ll     I     '    }    \     'J     'I     ■     'J 

2*    \     *    *     ^     \     ^    d    ^    I     *    ^    J 
Rhythm.      Allegretto: ^3    I    >:<, I    ^^■     ^-l     "     '     '-J 


Stvle  Rhythmic,  and  dignified 


.^     ,         ,  By  such  means  the  pupils  will  not  only  gain 

Advantages  or  ''  ^     ^  ^     ^ 


these  classes  to     confidence  in  playing  before  others  but  they  will 
''"'''^'  also  attain  a  broad  and  intelligent  outlook  over 

the  entire  field  of  piano  music.      Instead  of  confining  their 


PIANO   TEACHING  133 

view  to  the  limited  extent  of  thoir  individual  activities,  they 
will  thus  be  enabled  to  gain  an  insight  into  the  characteristics  of 
many  other  styles,  and  will  learn  to  listen  to  these  with  the  ears 
of  discriminating  musicians. 

The  opportunities  offered  by  such  classes  need  not  be  confined 
to  pupils  who  are  studying  individually  with  you.  Former 
pupils  who  wash  to  keep  their  work  up  to  date  Extension  of 
can  be  banded  together  for  such  meetings;  while  ^^^^^  classes. 
larger  and  more  general  classes  may  be  formed  of  players  whose 
time  for  practice  is  limited,  but  who  still  wish  to  retain  their 
interest.  In  treating  the  last-named,  you  will  perhaps  find  it 
expedient  to  assume  somewhat  the  attitude  of  a  lecturer,  play- 
ing more  of  the  illustrations  yourself  than  you  did  in  the  pupil- 
classes.  You  may  also  have  the  inspiration  to  form  still 
other  classes,  for  the  study  of  such  subjects  as  harmony,  music 
history,  and  sight-reading.  All  such  work  will  enliven  and 
broaden  your  teaching,  and  \\i\\  encourage  the  desire  for  real 
musicianship  among  your  pupils  and  in  your  community. 

Havmg  decided,  then,  that  an  important  part  of  your  duty 
lies  in  teaching  pupils  the  principles  of  public  performance,  you 
will  introduce  these  ideas  to  them  by  inciting  them    _ 

_  ''  °  Summary. 

to  play  for  imaginary  or  intimate  listeners.  When 
your  pupil  is  actually  to  perform  in  public,  you  will  choose 
for  him  a  piece  which  is  well  within  his  ability  and  which  he  has 
thoroughly  mastered;  will  take  care  that  he  plays  under  proper 
conditions  and  upon  a  fitting  piano;  and  will  prepare  his  mind 
and  rehearse  him  for  the  coming  event.  By  occasional  pupil- 
recitals  you  can  furnish  ideal  conditions  for  his  performance 
under  your  direct  supervision.  Such  recitals  may  be  given 
whenever  a  group  of  pupils  have  reached  a  point  in  their  work 
at  which  they  are  ready  to  play  their  pieces  before  others;  but 
no  mere  argument  of  personal  display  should  be  made  to  ani- 
mate them.  Programs  which  contain  well-contrasted  selections 
should  be  so  graded  as  to  represent  the  work  of  pupils  which  is 
somewhat  related;  and  the  importance  given  a  recital  should 
be  proportioned  to  the  ability  of  the  participants.  Above  all, 
the  program  should  be  short! 


134  PIANO   TEACHING 

Class  instruction  may  conduce  profitably  to  the  ability  to 
perform,  A  most  effective  form  of  this  work  consists  in  the 
meetings  of  a  group  of  pupils  at  which  the  composition  in  process 
of  study  by  each  pupil  is  analyzed  and  appreciatively  criticized 
by  all.  Such  class- work,  moreover,  may  represent  but  one  of 
various  means  of  dealing  with  music  in  its  broader  aspects 
which  you  should  not  hesitate  to  adopt  as  the  opportunity  pre- 
sents itself. 


CHAPTER  X 

Various  Types  of  Pupils 

If  it  were  possible,  after  outlining  a  logical  course  of  pro- 
cedure which  should  cover  the  entire  ground  of  piano  teaching, 
to  pursue  this  course  invariably  from  beginning  to  Frequent  devia- 
end  without  the  interruptions  of  side-issues,  your  nor"ma^rs^nda^rd 
path  would  be  smooth  indeed.  But  in  actual  "^  teaching, 
experience  you  will  find  your  best-laid  plans  frequently  upset 
by  obstacles  which  spring  from  the  very  constitution  of  the 
pupil  with  whom  you  are  dealing.  The  extremely  personal 
element,  in  fact,  inseparable  from  private  teaching,  makes  each 
pupil  a  problem  by  himself;  so  that  your  designs  must,  in 
nearly  every  case,  suffer  some  deviation,  of  which  the  amount 
is  proportional  to  the  pupil's  approach  to  the  normal  condition. 
It  must  be  your  constant  care  to  note  the  points  in  which  the 
pupil  varies  from  the  standard  you  set,  and  to  so  guide  his  steps 
that  he  may  bring  these  points  up  to  a  level  with  his  other 
attainments.  While  your  own  ingenuity  must  be  depended 
upon  to  deal  with  individual  cases,  these  may  yet  be  grouped 
into  a  number  of  familiar  types,  the  characteristics  of  which  I 
invite  you  to  consider. 

Here,  for  instance,  is  the  Nervous  Pupil.  "  You  have  to  treat 
her  with  great  care,"  her  mother  warns  you,  "because  she  is  an 
abnormally  sensitive  child,  and  the  doctor  has  The  nervous 
told  us  that  she  must  not  be  excited."  Her  dis-  ^"^''" 
abilities  display  themselves  in  a  wrigglesome  demeanor  and  a 
tendency  to  burst  into  tears  if  you  try  to  teach  her  anything. 
A  case  like  this  may,  of  course,  arise  from  some  real  nervous 
disease;  but  it  more  frequently  shows  a  lack  of  mental  and 
moral  control,  a  consequence  of  the  deliberate  system  of  spoiling 
to  which  she  has  been  subjected.    Seated  at  the  piano,  she  jumps 

135 


136  PIANO   TEACHING 

at  the  keys  as  though  she  would  bite  them,  and  stammers  over 
every  other  note,  trying  to  play  it-  correctly  by  pounding  it 
harder  and  harder.  You  can  do  nothing  until  you  have 
attacked  the  evil  at  its  root,  by  teaching  her  how  to  relax. 
Begin  with  arm  exercises.  Let  her  first  sit  perfectly  still,  think- 
ing only  of  relaxed  arm  muscles.  Then,  with  her  fingers  on 
the  keys,  let  her  move  her  wrists  up  and  down  until  these  too 
are  flexible.  When  resort  is  had  to  finger  motions,  let  these 
be  carefully  planned,  deliberate,  quiet.  Give  her  a  study  or 
piece  with  a  simple,  slow  melody,  upon  which  she  can  put  these 
motions  into  practice. 

When  she  comes  for  succeeding  lessons,  be  economical  of  your 
teaching.  Let  her  play  through  what  she  has  been  studying 
Quieting  methods  without  interruptions,  since  these  are  apt  to  upset 
with  such  a  pupil,  j^gj.  equilibrium  completely.  After  she  has  per- 
formed the  piece  once,  it  is  often  well  to  ask  her  to  play  it  over 
again  immediately,  while  she  tries  to  keep  her  hands  and  arms 
even  more  quiet  than  before.  When  you  make  suggestions  or 
corrections,  do  not  insist  too  firmly  on  any  which  she  cannot 
readily  put  into  effect,  but,  if  she  shows  any  signs  of  confusion 
or  self-consciousness,  play  the  passage  over  for  her,  explaining 
what  she  is  to  do  with  it,  and  then  leave  it  for  her  to  work  out. 
If  your  excess  of  zeal  causes  an  outburst  of  tears,  wait  quietly 
until  the  storm  is  over  and  then  continue;  if  the  spasm  is  thus 
ignored,  it  will  probably  not  be  repeated  readily.  She  will  need 
much  encouragement,  of  course,  and  can  stand  little  reproof. 
If  she  wishes  to  play  in  public,  let  her  take  part  at  first  in  duets 
and  when  she  attempts  solos  have  her  play  with  the  notes 
before  her. 

In  contrast  to  this  case  comes  the  Over-Confident  Pupil. 
Far  from  displaying  any  timidit}^,  she  stalks  unflinchingly  over 
The  over-confi-  oH  obstaclcs,  pouudiug  out  her  piece  with  a  hard, 
dent  pupil.  ho\^  tone,  and  defying  small  matters  to  interfere. 

Once  under  headway,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  stop  her,  while 
in  the  midst  of  a  correction  which  you  are  making  she  starts 
ahead  at  full  speed,  and  has  again  to  be  forcibly  held  up.  If 
such  a  pupil  can  only  be  brought  under  control,  she  may  be 


PIANO  TEACHING  137 

made  to  interpret  her  music  with  much  breadth  and  dignity, 
for  her  tendency  is  to  emphasize  unity  rather  than  details. 
She  must  be  put  to  work  upon  music  of  which  she  can  make 
nothing  unless  such  details  are  emphasized  and  in  which  deli- 
cacy of  nuance  is  everything,  such  as  Mozart's  Sonatas,  or  the 
Bach  Inventions.  If  she  once  has  her  eyes  opened  to  the  beauty 
of  subtle  effects,  she  will  come  to  appreciate  their  value  and 
learn  to  apply  them  to  other  styles.  In  her  most  virulent  form, 
she  has  an  insatiable  craving  for  "difficult"  music.  Anything 
long  and  showy  is  her  delight,  and  anything  less  than  this  she 
regards  as  "babyish."  Give  her  some  unconquerable  concerto- 
upon  which  to  expend  her  enthusiasm,  and  meanwhile  intro- 
duce as  a  side  issue  a  short  piece  which  she  can  creditably 
master.  Perhaps  in  the  end  the  contrasts  in  her  accomplish- 
ments may  flash  upon  her  a  comprehension  of  the  true  sphere 
of  music  and  the  part  in  this  for  which  she  is  best  fitted. 

Closely  akin  to  her  is  the  Talkative  Girl.  If  you  permitted  it, 
this  pupil  would  monopolize  the  entire  time  by  pouring  forth 
a  rapid  stream  of  her  own  ideas,  relevant  and  irrel-  The  talkative 
evant  to  the  subject  of  music.  If  you  do  get  a  p"""'- 
chance  to  put  in  a  word,  she  accompanies  it  by  extemporizing 
chords  on  the  piano.  After  the  lesson  she  is  another  half-hour 
in  making  her  exit,  and  she  finally  leaves  you  with  a  dizzy 
sensation  and  a  feeling  of  utter  helplessness.  Put  her  lesson 
directly  before  that  of  another  pupil,  and  so  avoid  the  latter 
danger  by  excusing  yourself.  You  should  also,  at  the  beginning 
of  the  lesson  hour,  attain  the  mastery  of  the  situation  by  talking 
volubly  yourself,  and  afterwards  only  interrupting  this  process 
by  having  her  play.  When  she  stops,  change  places  quickly 
with  her  at  the  keyboard,  and  there  do  your  own  illustrating, 
sticking  so  closely  to  the  subject  that  every  avenue  of  escape  is 
closed  to  her.  The  Talkative  Boy  is  argumentative;  every  step 
of  the  way  is  fought  to  the  finish  by  inquiries  as  to  why  it  should 
be  thus  and  so.  Within  its  proper  limits  this  tendency  is  salu- 
tary, and  will  conduce  to  thoroughness;  but  you  must  make 
him  understand  that  he  must  accept  some  things  on  faith,  as 
justified  by  experience. 


138  PIANO   TEACHING 

Indeed,  the  Indifferent  Boy  is  apt  to  be  a  much  more  unsatis- 
factory subject.  He  has  been  made  to  take  lessons  because 
The  indifferent  "it  wiU  be  a  nice  thing  for  him  to  know  how  to 
P"P^"  play  when  he  grows  up."     He  doesn't  subscribe 

to  this  opinion,  and  consequently  decides  to  make  matters  as 
warm  as  possible  for  you.  It  will  do  no  good  to  beg  him  to  take 
interest  and  to  practice;  you  must  get  hold  of  him  by  the  sheer 
force  of  claiming  his  attention.  The  piano  must  be  made  more 
attractive,  for  the  time,  than  the  football  game.  Find  out 
what  his  weak  points  are,  and  make  use  of  them.  If  he  adores 
automobiles,  give  him  an  exercise  which  shall  represent  one  in 
motion.  If  he  likes  soldiers  (and  what  boy  doesn't?),  give 
him  a  march,  and  let  him  patrol  them  about  to  its  swing. 
Grasp  his  imagination  in  whatever  direction  it  is  tending,  and 
fasten  his  music  to  it;  he  will  wake  up,  and  discover  that  there 
is  some  fun  lurking  within  the  tone-realm.  You  must  go  more 
than  half-way  to  meet  him.  He  does  not  desire  any  bonds  of 
sympathy  with  you;  and  it  is  only  after  you  have  discovered 
what  he  likes  and  have  made  him  certain  that  you  are  a  kindred 
spirit  that  he  will  relent  and  cater  to  your  wishes. 

Alas!  the  Careless  Pupil  takes  her  lesson  directly  after  his. 
She  has  remembered  to  come  to-day,  for  a  wonder,  but  when  you 
The  careless  uuroll  her  music  you  find  that  she  has  left  her 
^^^^-  book  of  studies,  the  most  important  item  of  all, 

at  home.  It  next  develops  that  she  has  practiced  the  wrong 
technical  exercise,  and  so  you  go  carefully  over  the  same  ground 
as  before,  in  the  hope  that  the  process  may  have  more  effect 
this  time.  Wrong  notes,  wrong  fingerings,  and  neglected  signa- 
tures engage  your  attention  in  the  piece  prepared  for  the  lesson. 
Then  the  height  of  your  exasperation  is  reached  as  she  plays 
the  review  passage,  and  you  discover  that  every  correction  which 
you  made  the  previous  week  has  been  consigned  to  oblivion, 
and  that  your  work  must  all  be  done  over.  Patience!  Insist 
that  wrong  notes  be  played  right  before  they  are  passed  by; 
and  repeat  the  process  for  forty  consecutive  weeks,  if  necessary. 
Perhaps,  by  and  by,  she  will  discover  that  to  shirk  her  duties 
is  not  the  easiest  way  to  get  rid  of  them. 


PIANO   TEACHING  139 

She  is  not  very  different  in  principle  from  the  Young  Lady 
with  Good  Intentions.  School  children  can  generally  be  counted 
on  for  steady  work,  if  their  music  can  be  made  a  The  pupil  with 
l)art  of  their  daily  system.  Their  habitual  mode  «°°'*  intentions, 
of  life  is  regular,  and  piano  practice  can  be  made  to  fit  into 
this  naturally.  But  with  the  Society  Girl  the  problem  is  quite 
dilTerent.  Each  week  she  solemnly  resolves  to  devote  herself 
to  hard  practice.  She  thinks  nothing  of  planning  for  three  or 
four  hours  of  it  a  day,  and  sometimes  she  really  carries  out  her 
intentions  for  one  or  two  days  during  the  week.  But  then 
friends  come  to  make  a  visit,  or  parties  are  rampant,  or  she 
goes  off  on  a  trip,  or  she  has  a  headache;  and  in  any  case  her 
practice  immediately  falls  to .  zero.  Her  only  hope  is  to  set 
aside  the  hour  in  each  day  just  before  or  after  breakfast  for 
music.  Let  her  bring  a  written  account  of  this  hour  to  you, 
and  use  every  exertion  to  inspire  her  with  its  importance,  for 
it  constitutes  her  chief  hope  of  musical  salvation.  If  she  can 
only  be  induced  to  introduce  music  into  her  social  festivities,  to 
employ  the  fruits  of  her  work  in  connection  with  the  pro- 
grams of  her  music  club,  she  will  have  another  compelling 
factor. 

She  is  often  the  alter  ego  of  the  Romantic  Pupil.  "What 
wonderful  temperament  she  has!"  say  the  friends  of  the  lat- 
ter. Yes,  so  wonderful,  indeed,  that  it  frequently  The  romantic 
transcends  all  bounds  of  reason,  turning  a  Bach  ^"^*'" 
Fugue  into  a  Hungarian  Rhapsodie,  and  overriding  all  the  com- 
poser's explicit  directions  to  voice  an  exaggerated  sentimen- 
tality. When  properly  controlled,  such  exuberance  becomes  a 
splendidly  vitalizing  force;  indeed,  its  presence  in  a  bright 
child  is  an  earnest  of  a  distinguished  future,  provided  he  come 
under  the  guidance  of  a  wise  and  prudent  teacher.  Such  a 
pupil  should  therefore  be  watched  with  special  care;  she  should 
be  firmly  grounded  in  safe  technic  and  should  be  given  music 
like  Heller's  Etudes,  in  which  her  emotional  tendencies  may 
have  a  legitimate  chance  to  appear  while  due  attention  is  yet 
paid  to  law  and  orderliness.  Excess  of  the  emotional  factor, 
however,  is  apt  to  lead  to  disregard  of  the  restrictions  of  rhythm, 


140  PIANO   TEACHING 

so  that  the  pupil  shows  a  lamentable  lack  of  ability  to  appre- 
ciate accurate  time-divisions.  The  situation  thus  exemplifies 
the  complete  victory  of  impulse  over  reason.  A  pupil  of  this 
kind  to  whom  I  recommended  the  use  of  the  metronome  re- 
plied that  she  had  never  been  able  to  find  one  which  ticked 
regularly  while  she  was  playing.  No  wonder,  for  it  would  be 
impossible  to  procure  any  instrument  that  could  follow  her 
flights  of  fancy!  You  must  have  resort,  of  course,  not  only  to 
the  metronome,  but  to  all  other  devices  which  tend  to  steady 
the  rhythm  (Chapter  VI). 

An  antithesis  is  found  in  the  Academic  Pupil.  This  type 
brings  joy  to  your  heart,  for  she  is  systematic,  accurate,  reliable, 
The  academic  and  her  lessous  are  learned  with  a  flawless  preci- 
^^^^'  sion  which  defies  criticism.     Every  finger-mark  is 

obeyed,  whether  it  be  convenient  or  not;  every  sign  of  expression 
is  voiced  to  the  uttermost.  But  your  delight  at  this  ideal  stu- 
dent is  dampened  as  you  find  that,  with  all  this  unimpeachable 
faithfulness,  her  playing  is  cold,  dry,  uninteresting.  You  must 
be  careful  in  dealing  with  her  that  you  do  not  impair  the  admi- 
rable qualities  which  she  possesses.  She  is  at  her  best  in  the 
severely  classic  school,  —  that  of  Bach,  Haydn,  Mozart,  and 
the  early  Beethoven.  Very  well,  let  her  have  constantly  on 
hand  something  in  this  style,  to  act  as  a  preservative.  At  the 
same  time,  however,  you  can  introduce  her  to  the  most  ad- 
vanced modern  school,  —  that  of  Chopin,  MacDowell,  Debussy. 
After  she  has  mastered  technically  a  composition  of  this  type, 
induce  her  to  make  out  a  complete  scheme  of  the  picture  it  pre- 
sents, and  to  try  to  represent  the  varied  moods  to  you,  abandon- 
ing, for  the  time,  all  technical  considerations.  In  interpreting 
the  Chopin  Waltz,  Op.   34,   No.   2,  in  A  minor,   for  example, 

16    20    16    16 

according  to  this  plan,  first  map  out  its  divisions  as  a,  b,  c,  d, 

16  20  16  16  16  16  20  16 

d' ,  h,  c,  d,  d' ,  a,  e,  a.  Then  let  her  make  a  depict  a  gentle  melan- 
choly, b  a  more  agitated  frame  of  mind,  c  joy  finally  becoming 
tinged  with  pathos,  d  tenderness,  d'  a  sense  of  foreboding 
and  e  aspiration.  You  must,  in  other  words,  teach  her  to 
act.     Her  playing  is  wanting  in  the  element  of  personal  expres- 


PIANO  TEACHING  141 

sion  which  is  the  soul  of  modern  music,  and  she  must  learn  to 
free  her  emotions  from  the  bonds  in  which  she  has  confined 
them,  and  to  di.spla,y  them  in  the  broad  daylight. 

The  Mistaught  Pupil  belongs  to  a  type  which,  we  confidently 
hope,  is  becoming  less  frequent.  She  has  taken  lessons  for 
several  years  of  a  teacher  whom  her  parents  The  mistaught 
thought  "good  enough  to  begin  with,"  and  now  p"''*^' 
comes  to  you,  incrusted  with  all  sorts  of  bad  habits,  to  be  made 
over.  If  she  be  bright  enough  to  appreciate  the  situation  after 
a  few  lessons,  you  may  be  able  to  start  her  anew,  in  the  right 
direction.  Her  case  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  to  deal  with, 
however,  since  it  arises  from  an  entirely  false  conception  of 
what  musicianship  means,  and  since  you  must  consequently 
educate  both  her  and  her  parents  up  to  a  knowledge  of  this 
before  they  can  comprehend  your  work.  Can  you  not,  there- 
fore, assume  the  zeal  of  a  missionary  in  such  an  attempt  to 
propagate  the  gospel  of  your  art? 

What  an  opportunity  for  your  owti  education  is  presented, 
however,  by  the  Slow  Pupil!  Every  step  of  the  way  must  be 
traversed  so  minutely,  every  point  must  be  ^^^  ^^^^  ^  .^ 
elucidated  with  such  an  infinity  of  detail,  in  order 
that  her  ponderous  mind  may  grasp  it,  that  your  own  powers  of 
expression  are  many  times  magnified  in  consequence.  She  will 
cultivate  your  store  of  patience  also;  for  it  will  do  no  good  for 
you  to  attempt  to  drive  her  into  brilliant  courses,  since  you  will 
thus  only  paralyze  her  into  a  complete  standstill.  So  you  will 
limp  along,  picking  each  step  with  caution,  yet,  with  perse- 
verance, steadily  advancing.  Sometimes  a  child  who  has  thus 
plodded  on  for  several  years  comes  suddenly  to  her  own,  and, 
with  an  unexpected  comprehension  of  what  she  has  been  accom- 
plishing all  this  time,  develops  an  enthusiasm  which  creates 
wonderful  results.  Often,  too,  the  piano  teacher  receives  his 
greatest  credit  from  the  work  of  a  slow  pupil,  since,  as  a  general 
rule,  such  an  one  is  equally  backward  in  other  studies,  and  con- 
sequently delights  the  hearts  of  friends  by  the  evidence  that 
she  has  really  accomplished  something  in  the  way  of  piano 
playing. 


142  PIANO  TEACHING 

A  magnified  edition  of  this  case  appears  in  the  Stupid  Pupil. 
The  latter,  however,  may  be  particularly  trying,  because  she  is 
sometimes  quite  brilliant  in  other  directions.  She 
may  be  an  excellent  mathematician  or  Greek 
scholar,  for  instance,  and  yet  have  a  blunt  faculty  for  time, 
rhythm,  or  finger  motions.  She  is  particularly  impatient  with 
herself,  because,  as  she  frankly  acknowledges,  she  was  never  so 
obtuse  at  anything  else.  If  you  study  her  symptoms  carefully, 
you  may  be  able  to  hit  upon  music  which  exactly  appeals  to  her. 
Generally,  something  bright  and  tuneful  will  arouse  her  latent 
energies,  and  will  give  an  impetus  to  her  work.  Having 
found  this  vulnerable  point,  you  can  take  further  advantage 
of  it  by  gradually  introducing  music  of  greater  complexity. 

Then  there  is  the  Accompaniment  Pupil.  ''I  do  not  expect," 
she  says,  'Ho  become  a  soloist,  but  merely  wish  to  be  able 
The  accompani-  to  play  for  my  owH  singing  and  that  of  my 
mentpupu.  friends."     "My  dear  madam,"  you  reply,  "do  you 

know  that  good  accompaniments  represent  the  climax  of  the 
art  of  the  pianist?  For  not  only  must  the  accompanist  be  a 
master  of  notes  and  expression,  but  he  must  in  addition  be 
able  to  read  by  intuition  the  conceptions  in  the  singer's  mind, 
must  follow  accurately  the  vocal  part,  and  must  subordinate  his 
own  interpretation  to  that  of  the  singer.  Look  at  the  typical 
modern  expressive  song,  with  its  piano  part  bristling  with  diffi- 
culties, and  say  if  this  be  an  easy  task ! ' '  Some  of  these  facts  you 
must  show  to  this  ambitious  pupil,  telling  her,  moreover,  that 
piano  playing  makes  similar  demands  in  any  of  its  forms,  and 
that  hence  she  must  pursue  the  same  course  as  others,  to 
attain  the  desired  end.  You  can  make  her  work  tend  toward 
the  accomplishment  of  her  desires  by  giving  her  the  piano 
parts  of  simple  ballads  instead  of  solo  compositions.  More- 
over, her  study  of  singing  will  undoubtedly  be  much  facili- 
tated by  her  piano  practice.  But  you  should  not  hold  out 
any  unattainable  hopes  or  attempt  impossible  short-cuts,  lest 
disaster  crown  your  efforts. 

So  far,  our  attention  has  been  directed  toward  pupils  who 
present  special  mental  peculiarities.     The  successful  pianist, 


PIANO   TEACHING  143 

however,  is  he  who  felicitously  combines  the  action  of  both 
mind  and  matter.  To  insure  such  a  union  you  must,  therefore, 
be  prei)ared  with   means   for   propping   up   any 

Necessity  for 

weak  jioints  in  the  action  of  the  fingers.     The   elastic  methods 

11  i-ixi  •         c  •    I  iOf  technic  in  deal- 

problems   which  tims   arise  turnish  an  argument    ing  with  pupils 
for  a  svstem  of  technic  elastic  enough  to  be  con-   who  have  snger 

'^  peculiarities. 

siderably  modified  for  special  pupils.  Whatever 
your  "method,"  therefore,  you  must  be  sufficiently  practical 
in  its  application  to  abandon  any  fixed  formula^  in  favor  of 
new  ones  which  you  may  invent  to  meet  unusual  conditions. 
Let  me  remind  3'ou  of  a  few  cases  which  require  treatment  of 
this  nature. 

There  is  the  Short-Fingered  Pupil,  —  one  of  a  numerous  class, 
since  it  includes  all  the  children  in  your  care.  The  mere  fact 
that  the  fingers  are  of  less  than  normal  length  The  pupti  with 
should  be  of  itself  no  serious  disability.  Many  short  fingers, 
times,  indeed,  the  pupil  makes  up  in  facility  what  she  ha.s  lost 
in  extent,  and  is  thus  able  to  scamper  over  the  keys  with  ex- 
ceptional agility.  In  the  mass  of  music  written  with  short 
fingers  in  mind  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  finding  material 
for  practice.  But,  while  children  can  be  treated  with  the  pros- 
pect of  longer  fingers  in  the  future,  the  adult  with  the  same 
limitations  must  be  considered  in  a  slightly  different  light. 
Sometimes  she  has  a  fatal  desire  to  overcome  long  stretches.  I 
have  in  mind  a  pupil  who,  though  scarcely  able  to  span  an 
octave,  had  yet  so  burning  an  ambition  to  play  octaves  that 
she  practiced  exercises  involving  these  without  my  knowledge 
or  consent  until  her  wrists  became  seriously  lamed.  You 
should  teach  the  pupil  how  to  employ  the  limited  extent  of  her 
fingers  to  the  very  best  advantage.  The  fingers  must  be  held 
straighter  than  usual,  and  special  care  must  be  taken  to  pre- 
vent stiffness  in  the  wrists.  Then  choose  music  for  her  which 
involves  as  few  stretches  as  possible,  and,  when  these  occur, 
modify  them  without  hesitation,  to  save  straining  and  blurring. 
If  the  hands  be  thus  allowed  to  develop  naturally,  the  span  may 
gradually  and  unexpectedly  widen  from  the  effect  of  judicious 
technical  work. 


144  PIANO   TEACHING 

We  would  naturally  conclude  that  the  advantages  of  the 
Long-Fingered  Pupil  would  be  many.  True,  she  is  not  compelled 
The  pupil  with  to  look  askance  at  modern  pyrotechnic  music ; 
long  fingers.  ^^^   gj^g   ^^^y.   j^gg^j   careful    advicc   upon   other 

matters.  If  her  fingers  are  slim  and  weak-jointed,  they  are 
inclined  to  be  uncertain  in  stroke  and  touch,  consequently  she 
must  practice  exercises  with  fingers  considerably  curved,  and 
with  very  precise,  direct  movements.  In  the  case  of  large 
fingers  which  have  broad  tips,  care  must  be  taken  to  strike 
exactly  in  the  middle  of  each  key,  in  order  that  it  be  not  blurred 
with  those  beside  it.  Slim  fingers  may  be  taught  to  glide 
glibly  over  the  sweeping  arpeggios  of  a  Liszt  Etude,  while 
larger  fingers  can  grasp  the  sonorous  chords  of  Schumann  or 
Brahms. 

The  Pupil  with  a  Weak  Touch  has  fingers  so  flexible  that  they 
flop  about  absurdly,  and  are  apt  to  do  anything  but  what  she 
The  pupu  with  directs.  When  she  plays  a  run,  some  of  them 
a  weak  touch.  forget  to  release  their  keys,  and  consequently  blur 
the  notes ;  and  when  she  plays  forcibly,  the  tone  is  but  an  echo 
of  what  she  intends.  With  children,  this  condition  is  often 
bettered  as  years  increase,  but  with  adults  a  severe  drill  for 
individual  fingers  is  necessary.  Sometimes  striking  each  note 
of  a  run  separately,  with  the  hand  thrown  smartly  up  and  down 
by  the  entire  forearm,  will  eliminate  the  over-legato;  while  the 
playing  of  chords  with  the  weight  of  the  entire  arm  applied 
may  infuse  some  tone-body  into  them.  Practice  upon  the 
accents  of  strongly  rhythmic  music  will  help  to  eliminate  the 
lifeless  character  of  the  playing. 

Modifications  of  an  opposite  sort  must  be  employed  in  the 
case  of  the  Pupil  with  a  Heavy  Touch.  Perhaps  the  readiest 
The  pupil  with  remedy  is  for  her  to  practice  light  and  deHcatc 
a  heavy  touch.  music  by  simply  depressing  the  kej^s,  trying  mean- 
while to  prevent  the  hammer  from  striking  at  all.  She  has 
the  capacity  for  brilliant  music;  but  in  playing  a  loud  com- 
position, like  Chopin's  Polonaise  in  A,  she  should  be  taught 
to  lighten  up  all  but  the  accented  beats,  lest  her  playing  deafen 
her  audience. 


PIANO   TEACHING  145 

The  Pupil  with  Stiff  Muscles  has  either  formed  bad  habits 
of  playing  or  is  engaged  in  some  pursuit  which  militates  against 
ease  of  movement.  Organists,  for  instance,  have  The  pupil  with 
a  tendency  toward  rigidity  of  wrists.  Emphasize,  ^*'^  muscles, 
in  the  case  of  this  pupil,  the  necessity  for  daily  relaxation 
exercises  for  fingers,  hand  and  arm.  Light,  flexible  rotary 
motions  of  the  forearm  are  especially  valuable.  These  may  be 
practiced  at  first  away  from  the  instrument,  and  then  at  the 
keyboard,  where  the  pupil  may  begin  with  a  'pianissimo  tone, 
which  can  be  strengthened  as  the  knack  of  freeing  the  muscles 
is  gained.  Above  all,  she  must  be  taught  to  think  of  the  con- 
dition of  her  hand  and  arm,  and  to  discriminate  between  the 
different  muscular  activities,  in  order  that  she  may  exert 
energy  through  the  direct  channels,  while  muscles  not  needed 
are  kept  passive.  Ask  her  questions  frequently  which  will 
cause  her  to  analyze  the  exact  physical  processes  involved  in 
each  movement  which  she  makes  in  playing. 

An  extreme  instance  of  trouble  arising  from  stiff  muscles  is 
encountered  in  the  Pupil  who  Cannot  Execute.  She  has  begun 
music  as  an  adult;  and  although  she  has  plenty  of  The  pupil  who 
temperament  and  appreciation,  she  is  unable  to  *=^°°°*  execute, 
make  her  fingers  obey  her  behests.  Probably  her  case  is  hopeless 
in  the  direction  of  becoming  a  fluent  player,  but  she  can  learn 
much  interesting  music,  such  as  the  slow  movements  of  sonatas 
and  Songs  without  Words.  If  she  realizes  that  she  must  keep 
within  these  limits,  she  may  derive  pleasure  and  profit  from 
her  study. 

Then  there  are  pupils  with  unusual  conformations  of  hand  or 
fingers;  pupils  who  are  deaf;  pupils  who  cannot  see  well;  and 
many  other  special  cases  which  will  exercise  your  0^1^^^  special 
wits.  Yes,  it  is  certainly  the  unexpected  that  hap-  "^^^^s- 
pens  in  piano  teaching,  for  ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred 
pupils  will  make  you  decide  that,  for  this  time  at  least,  you  must 
set  aside  your  proposed  plans.  And  what  about  the  hundredth, 
that  Normal  Pupil  whom  you  expected  to  meet 

, .  ,1  11  .  c       ,    1      1  The  normal  pupil. 

contmually,  and  who  possesses  m  perfect  balance 

technic,  temperament,  and  mental  concentration?     Indeed,  you 


1-46  PIANO   TEACHING 

are  fortunate  if  you  ever  find  her;  and  when  she  appears,  she 
will  add  vastly  to  your  responsibility,  since,  if  she  does  not 
become  a  model  pianist,  you  alone  are  to  blame.  Keep  her, 
therefore,  to  the  safe  and  sure  paths,  neither  experimenting  with 
such  valuable  material  nor  forcing  her  beyond  her  strength  to 
pose  as  a  "show  card."  Taking  advantage  of  her  aptitude  for 
the  interpretation  of  great  ideas,  acquaint  her  with  examples 
of  whatever  is  best  in  music,  and  do  not  waste  her  energies 
upon  anything  of  lesser  value. 

Here  are  the  interesting  tests  of  your  tact  and  patience:  first, 
the  pupils  of  special  mental  characteristics,  including  the  ner- 
vous and  super-confident  pupils,   those  that    are 

Summary.  ,,        •  •      i-rc  i  i 

talkative,  mdirferent,  careless,  and  those  of  good 
though  fruitless  intentions,  the  romantic  and  academic  maidens, 
the  poor  misguided  pupil,  those  who  are  hampered  by  slowness 
or  musical  stupidity,  and  those  who  aspire  to  become  accom- 
panists; second,  the  pupils  of  special  physical  properties  of 
hand  and  arm,  including  pupils  with  short  or  long  fingers,  those 
with  weak  or  heavy  touch,  and  those  with  stiff  muscles  or  of 
inability  to  make  their  fingers  obey  them.  To  crown  your 
efforts,  however,  comes  occasionally  the  exceptional  pupil  who 
apparently  labors  under  no  limitations.  I  have  not  mentioned 
specifically,  however,  the  pupil  to  whom  my  sympathy  especially 
goes  out,  who  allows  herself  to  be  daunted  by  no  obstacles: 
namely,  the  Pupil  who  intends  to  Teach.  It  is  she  who  culti- 
vates the  talent  which  has  been  intrusted  to  her,  and  who 
finally  sets  forth  to  magnify  it  a  hundredfold.  It  is  with  her 
in  mind  that  I  have  presented  these  suggestions,  which  are 
pictures  of  my  own  experiences  in  the  field.  There  is  need 
enough  for  her  efforts  to  combat  the  benighted  ignorance  of  the 
true  nature  of  music  which  even  yet  prevails.  May  the  sense 
of  the  exalted  character  of  her  mission  bear  her  triumphantly 
through  all  its  inevitable  difficulties  and  discouragements! 


CHAPTER  XI 

The  Selection  of  Music 

In  considering  the  problems  presented  by  the  question  of 
how  we  are  to  teach,  let  us  not  neglect  those  equally  important 
ones  involved  in  the  question  of  what  we  shall  statement  of  the 
teach.  To  fit  a  pupil's  needs  to  the  letter  with  p^°biem. 
musical  material  requires  no  less  acumen  than  that  needed  by 
a  doctor  in  prescribing  for  a  patient;  indeed,  the  two  pro- 
cesses are  closely  analogous.  Many  a  young  teacher,  otherwise 
excellently  equipped  for  his  work,  is  brought  to  a  realizing 
sense  of  this  fact  if  he  has  neglected  to  provide  a  systematized 
supply  of  material.  Perhaps  he  may  tide  over  the  first  lessons 
by  using  the  instruction  book  from  which  he  himself  was  taught. 
But  in  due  course  of  time  he  finds  that  he  must  produce  a 
new  piece,  and  accordingly  he  hastens  to  the  music  clerk  for  aid, 
with  the  result  that  he  is  bewildered  by  the  huge  pile  of  miscel- 
laneous pieces  given  him  for  inspection,  and  finally  chooses  at 
random  one  which  he  afterwards  discovers  to  be  peculiarly  un- 
adapted  to  the  case  in  hand. 

From   this   experience    he    realizes   that,    before    beginning 
to  teach,  he  should  have  provided  himself  with  graded  lists 
of  compositions,  arranged  in  groups  according  to 
their  applicability  to  certain  normal  demands  of   keeping  graded 
his    work.     The    number    of    compositions    thus 
listed  need  not  be  large  at  first,  but  should  be  comprehensive, 
and  should  include  an  outfit  in  each  subject  sufficient  to  carry 
the  salient  features  of  the  group  through  all  grades.     Thus  pre- 
pared, you  will  be  able  to  see  your  way  clear  through  an  entire 
course  of  one  line  of  work,  such  as  melody  'playing,  and  will 
also  have  material  at  hand  with  which  to  supply  a  new  pupil, 
whatever  may  be  his  needs. 

Moreover,  you  should  place  no  composition  upon  your  lists 

147 


148  PIANO   TEACHING 

until  you  have  given  it  a  personal,  critical  examination,  and 
have  decided  upon  its  merits.  It  is  doubtful  if  j^ou  should 
How  far  the  ^ver  essay  to  teach  anything  not  thus  previously 

teacher  should  approved.  Certainly  in  the  early  days  of  your 
position  which  he  work  you  should  uot  Venture  upon  so  hazard- 
assigns  a  pupil.  ^^^  ^  proceeding;  and  at  any  time  such  a  course 
should  be  followed  only  in  an  emergency,  as  when  a  pupil 
brings  to  you  a  piece  for  offhand  criticism.  To  be  sure,  you 
cannot  be  expected  to  give  a  concert  performance  of  every 
composition  which  you  are  teaching,  —  as  the  number  of  your 
pupils  increases,  such  a  requirement  would  be  practically  impos- 
sible to  fulfill,  —  but  you  can  at  least  be  able  to  illustrate  the 
chief  points  involved  and  give  the  pupil  a  practical  impression 
of  what  you  want  him  to  do. 

How  shall  you  form  these  lists,  you  ask  ?     In  various  ways. 

I  will  shortly  endeavor  to  start  you  upon  them;  and  there  are 

,.  .    other  books,  like  Tapper's  Graded  Piano  Course 

How  to  form  lists.  ^  ^  ^ 

Books  and  pub-  and  Teachevs'  Manuals,  and  Kotzschmar  s  Half- 
Hour  Lessons  in  Music,  which  suggest  such  ma- 
terial. You  have  a  stanch  ally,  too,  in  the  modern  music 
publisher.  He  has  come  to  realize  that  his  interests  and  those 
of  the  teacher  are  identical,  and  so  he  holds  out  his  hands  cor- 
dially to  welcome  you  to  the  ranks  of  the  profession  and  offers 
you  a  wealth  of  advice  and  practical  assistance.  He  presents 
you  with  catalogues  containing  minute  and  accurate  classifica- 
tions of  teaching  material,  often  illustrated  by  short,  perti- 
nent excerpts  from  the  compositions  recommended,  and  he  is 
eager  to  send  you  ample  selections  of  standard  music  of  the 
grades  you  require,  as  well  as  to  keep  you  well  posted  con- 
cerning his  latest  output.  You  are  thus  enabled,  free  of  cost, 
to  con  at  your  leisure  the  cream  of  both  new  and  old  compo- 
sitions, edited  by  the  painstaking  hands  of  experts  and 
adorned  with  the  best  efforts  of  the  printer's  art. 

You  should  not  hesitate  to  accept  assistance  from  any  other 
quarter  where  it  is  available.  If  you  are  taking  lessons,  ask 
your  teacher  for  some  of  the  fruits  of  his  experience.  Confer 
also  with  your  fellow  teachers.     Nothing  is  more  helpful  than 


PIANO   TEACHING  149 

occasional  meetings  with  colahorers,  at  which  each  person  pre- 
sents a  piece  which  he  has  found  useful,  to  be  discussed,  and 
noted  by  the  others  for  future  reference.  Cur- other  aids:  teach- 
rent  journals,  such  as  The  Musician,  teem  witli  JourMisS'c'oi- 
helps  in  the  music  and  recital  programs  which  lections  of  stand- 

&fd  works. 

they  publish  and  in  their  articles  by  practical 
teachers.  To  avail  yourself  of  all  these  aids,  you  should  set 
apart  adequate  time  each  week  for  critical  perusal  of  new  mate- 
rial. Some  of  this  time,  too,  should  be  devoted  to  playing  classic 
and  standard  works,  from  which  additional  gems  may  contin- 
ually be  mined. 

After  your  teaching  has  begun,  your  lists  will  be  constantly 
enriched  by  such  work,  and  also  by  the  fruits  of  experience. 
Some  compositions  which  seemed  particularly  apt  ^^^  ^^^  means 
will  be  found  impracticable,  through  some  hidden  «*  recording  the 
complexity,  and  will  be  eliminated,  while  others 
will  disclose  hitherto  unperceived  treasures.     To  keep  a  history 
of  your  dealings  with  each  piece,  the  card  system  may  again 
be  called  into  requisition.     Each  composition  should  be  recorded 
on  a  separate  card,  together  with  the  names  of  its  composer  and 
publisher,  its  grade,  and  any  further  information  of  importance 
concerning  it.     The  names  of  the  pupils  to  whom  you  give  it 
should  afterward  be  added,  with  a  word  as  to  its  effect  upon 
them.     Here  is  a  sample  card: 


Grade  III 

TCHAIKOVSKI, 

Chant  sans  paroles, 

Op.  40,  No.  6. 

Imitative  melody 

in  both  hands. 

Given  to  Amelia  Black,  Jan.  21,  1910 
(learned  successfully,  and  played  at  recital,  May, 

'10) 

to  James  Smith,  Feb.  4, 

'10  (did  not  like  it). 

150  PIANO   TEACHING 

These  cards  may  be  kept,  arranged  by  grades,  in  groups,  each 
of  which  is  headed  by  an  index  card  having  a  title  which  sug- 
gests its  applicability. 

What,  now,  are  the  conditions  under  which  a  composition  is 
admitted  into  the  select  society  which  your  lists  represent? 
Tests  of  the  teach-  First,  it  should  be  good  music.  By  this  I  mean 
poSr^^iiMr' "^^^^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^^^^  written  from  a  grammatical 
should  be  good  point  of  vicw.  It  is  not  necessary  or  wise  to  com- 
pose your  lists  exclusively  from  the  works  of  the 
great  masters,  since  for  the  teaching  of  musical  elements  music 
of  complex  thought  and  phrasing  is  poorly  adapted.  A  Beetho- 
ven Sonata,  even  of  a  comparatively  easy  grade,  for  instance, 
involves  a  previous  knowledge  of  technic  and  interpretation 
which  should  be  derived  from  compositions  in  which  these  ele- 
ments are  presented  singly. 

Secondly,  the  composition  should  be  attractive.  It  is  not 
always  easy  to  fulfill  this  condition,  since  what  is  interesting  to 

(2)  It  should  be  3^ou  will  sometimcs  prove  equally  uninteresting  to 
attractive.  ^.j^^  pupil.  But,  as  a  general  rule,  a  composition 
which  has  themes  of  character  and  brightness,  which  is  concise 
and  well-knit  and  which  is  playable,  will  prove  pleasing  in  the 
end,  if  not  in  the  beginning.  Mendelssohn's  Spring  Song,  for 
instance,  always  asserts  its  charm,  because  it  possesses  these 
virtues,  the  lack  of  which  makes  other  and  more  pretentious 
compositions  by  him  tiresomely  drawn  out. 

Thirdly,  the  piece  should  be  pianistic.  However  rich  in  musi- 
cal thought  it  may  be,  it  is  ill  adapted  for  teaching  if  it  furnishes 

(3)  It  should  be  awkward  and  discouraging  progressions  for  the 
pianistic.  fingers.  Much  of  Rubinstein's  piano  music,  like 
his  charming  Nocturne  in  G  major,  is  so  clumsily  written  for 
the  pianist  as  to  be  shelved  in  favor  of  more  practical  pieces. 
There  is  such  a  wealth  of  thoroughly  pianistic  music  at  hand 
that  it  is  foolish  to  waste  time  in  trying  to  mold  into  shape 
these  unskillful  contrivances.  Likewise  adaptations  of  music 
written  for  other  forms  of  musical  expression  are  to  be  avoided. 
Sousa  Marches,  for  instance,  are  effective  for  military  bands 
but  execrable  for  the  pianist.     Likewise,  arrangements  of  oper- 


PIANO   TEACHING  151 

atic  airs,  unless  treated  V)y  a  skillful  and  competent  composer, 
should  not  be  placed  in  the  category  of  real  piano  music. 

Fourthly,  even  if  a  p'lvve  be  well  written  for  the  instrument, 
it  is  not  entitUnl  to  unrestricted  favor  unless  it  illustrates  in  a 
marked  degree  some  useful  teaching  jioint.    C^on-         it  should  ii- 
sider  the  last  movement  of  Beethoven's  Op.  2().    lustrate  some  im- 

.,,.  ....  portant  point. 

Here  is  a  brilliant,  interesting  piano  piece;  and, 
in  adtlition,  we  find  a  cleverly  constructed  and  useful  tech- 
nical figure  played  continually^  by  the  hands  in  alternation  and 
conjunction,  through  a  wide  variety  of  positions.  There  are 
compositions  of  this  kind  whose  value  to  the  student  is  at  once 
apparent,  and  in  the  use  of  which  he  is  earning  the  double 
increment  of  proficiency  in  some  common  technical  device 
and  the  conquest  of  an  important  and  permanent  musical 
possession. 

You  are  now  prepared  to  consider  the  models  for  your  lists 
which  I  have  promised.  Perhaps  these  maj'  furnish  a  nucleus 
for  further  development,  although  I  again  warn    „  ,  ,  ,    ,. 

'  o  o  Models  for  lists. 

you  not  to  accept  any  piece  without  personal 
examination  of  it.  I  shall  employ  the  customary  seven  grades, 
ranging  from  the  earliest  to  the  very  difficult,  and  shall  endeavor 
to  include  only  such  compositions  as,  in  the  light  of  experience, 
have  seemed  to  meet  the  conditions  stated  above.  The  sub- 
jects emphasized  will  follow  the  same  order  in  which  they  were 
treated  in  the  earlier  part  of  our  discussions.  I  assume  that 
you  deal  with  mere  finger  gymnastics  solely  through  the  me- 
dium of  the  memorandum  book,  and  shall  there-  varieties  of 
fore  not  suggest  any  of  the  various  books  filled  ^*""*'^^- 
with  these.  If  you  wish  to  infuse  greater  system  into  your 
ideas  of  technic,  I  can  recommend  the  books  — ■  Some  Practical 
Things  in  Piano  Playing,  by  Arthur  Foote;  The  Essentials  of 
Piano  Playing,  by  Clayton  Johns;  The  Principles  of  Piajio- 
forte  Playing,  by  Tobias  Matthay,  and  Natural  Laws  in  Piano 
Technic,  by  Mary  Wood  Chase,  for  the  purpose.  The  pupil 
passes  naturally  from  such  work  to  studies  in  w^hich  the  musical 
elements  peep  out  more  or  less  timidly  from  practically  applied 
technical  figures.     While  still  concentrating  his  attention  upon 


152  PIANO   TEACHING 

digital  development,  he  thus  unconsciously  fits  this  into  con- 
ventional musical  phraseology.  Your  first  group  is,  therefore^ 
as  follows: 

LIST  A 

Grade  TECHNICAL   STUDIES 

I-II.  Kbhler,   L.,  Op.  190.     The  Very  Easiest  Studies. 

II-III.   Biehl,  E.,  Op.  7,  Books  1  and  2. 
Brauer,  Fr.,  Op.  15. 

III-IV.    Czerny,  C,  Op.  299,  Bk.  1.     The  School  of  Velocity. 

Berens,  H.,  Op.  61,  Books  1  and  2.     Newest  School  of  Velocity. 

IV-V.   Cramer,  J.  B.,  Sixty  Selected  Studies.     (Biilow.) 

All  of  Book  1,  and  Nos.  19,  20,  21,  23,  24,  26,  29,  35,  36,  37,  38, 
39,  42,  51. 

V-VI.    Czerny,  C,  Op.  740.     The  Art  of  Finger  Dexterity. 

IV-VI.    Johns,  Clayton,  From  Bach  to  Chopin. 

VI-VII.    Chopin,  F.,  Etudes,  Op.  10,  Nos.  1,  2,  4,  5,  7,  11. 
Op.  25,  Nos.  1,  2,  3,  6,  8,  10,  11,  12. 

In  employing  any  succession  of  these  studies,  which  you 
observe  are  overlapping  in  their  scope,  you  should  select  those 
^  ^    .     ^.  ^       best  adapted  for  the  individual  pupil  and  assign 

Order  in  which  _      ^  r-    x-  o 

these  should  be  them  ill  their  most  logical  order.  No  book  can 
be  so  compiled  and  graded  as  to  fit  every  case, 
owing  to  the  peculiarities  of  different  pupils.  It  is  well,  there- 
fore, to  pursue  the  cour.se  laid  out  in  a  given  collection  only  so 
long  as  this  is  as  good  as  any  other,  and  to  change  the  order 
or  to  omit  studies  whenever  such  a  proceeding  seems  beneficial. 
You  may  occasionally  choose  to  use  books  of  already  selected 
material,  such  as  Tapper's  Graded  Piano  Course ;  but  even  then 
your  own  judgment  should  finally  determine  the  order  and 
nature  of  the  work  which  you  give.  The  earlier  grades  will 
naturally  keep  to  the  beaten  track  more  strictly,  since  the 
demands  of  beginners  are  nearly  identical;  but,  as  the  pupil 
advances,  the  necessity  for  added  discrimination  increases.  I 
have  indicated,  in  a  few  instances,  the  particular  studies  found 
most  useful,  as  examples  of  such  choice. 


PIANO   TEACHING  153 

Sometimes  you  may  desire  to  break  the  monotony  of  purely 
technical  work  by  studies  in  which  the  elements  of  interpreta- 
tion are  prominent.  The  old  notion,  dating  to  the  interpretation 
time  when  the  most  nauseous  drugs  were  assumed  s^"^'^^- 
to  be  most  curative,  was  that  the  piano  student  should  subsist 
for  years  on  the  driest  bones  of  music,  so  that  his  mind  should 
not  be  distracted  from  the  seriousness  of  the  subject  by  anything 
of  an  agreeable  character.  Having  now  discovered  that  pleasure 
and  profit  may  be  made  to  go  hand  in  hand,  we  do  not  hesitate 
to  select  pleasing  material  and  to  whet  the  interest  by  intro- 
ducing variety.  If  the  child  has  a  natural  taste  for  expression, 
let  him  be  fed  with  choice  musical  morsels  from  the  very  begin- 
ning. Let  technical  work  be  disguised  within  attractive  melo- 
dies and  rhythms,  and  let  the  pupil  perceive  that  his  labor  is 
tending  directly  toward  the  coveted  end. 

I  have  chosen  the  studies  in  the  above  list  because  they  con- 
tain much  of  musical  interest  besides  the  element  of  finger  exer- 
cise. Those  in  the  second  list,  however,  exalt  still  further  the 
musical  factors. 

LIST  B 

Grade  INTERPRETATION    STUDIES 

I-II.    Gurlitt,  C,   Op.  117.     The  First  Lessons. 

I-III.   Ehmant,  A.,  Petite  ecole  melodique,  four  books. 
Loeschhom,  A.,  Op.  65,   three  books. 

II-III.    Macdougall,  H.  C,  Studies  in  Melody  Playing. 
Burgmiiller,  F.,  Op.  100  (for  small  hands). 
Heller,  St.,  Op.  47. 

IV-V.    Heller,  St.,  Op.  46. 

V.   Dom,  A.,  Op.  100,  Bk.  2. 

IV-VI.   Haberbier,  E.,  Op.  53.     Etudes  Poesies. 

V-VI.    Foote,  A.,  Nine  Etudes,  Op.  27. 

MacDowell,  E.,  Twelve  Etudes,  Op.  39. 

VI.   Moscheles,  I.,  Op.  70,  Bk.  1. 

VII.    Chopin,  F.,  Etudes,  Op.  10,  No.  3.,  Op.  25,  No.  7,  etc. 
Rubinstein,  A.,  Six  studies,  Op.  23. 
Liszt,  F.,  12  Etudes  d'execution  transcendante. 


154  PIANO   TEACHING 

There  is  a  growing  and  salutary  tendency  to  supplant  pre- 
paratory studies  by  some  of  the  longer  standard  compositions. 
Especially  where  the  pupil's  time  for  practice  is 

Pieces  which  may  .      ,       ,.      .       i    •      •,      i      •      i  i       ,  i  i 

be  used  in  place  strictly  hmited  IS  it  desirable  to  expend  as  large 
of  studies.  ^^  amount  of  it  as  possible  upon  works  which  will 

constitute  a  permanent  addition  to  his  repertoire.  A  pupil  who 
has  a  natural  aversion  to  what  he  terms  "classical"  music  may 
be  willing  to  accept  it  if  given  in  the  guise  of  studies,  with 
the  frequent  result  that  he  finds  its  interest  grow  as  his  desire 
for  the  lighter  style  diminishes.  I  therefore  proceed  to  a  list  of 
what  may  be  termed  study  pieces,  or  groups  of  pieces.  Espe- 
cially valuable  in  the  advanced  grades  are  the  concertos,  which 
will  receive  their  crowning  glory  in  the  final  addition  of  the 
second  piano  part. 

LIST  C 

Grade  StUDY   PiECES 

1     Reinecke,     Seven  Little  Pieces  on  Five  Tones. 

I-IL    Oesten,  T.,  Op.  6L     May  Flowers. 

IL    Beethoven,  Sonatina  in  G  major. 

Kullak,  Th.,  Scenes  from  Childhood,  Op.  6L 

in.   Kuhlau,  Fr.,  Sonatinas,  Op.  55,  Nos.  1,  2,  3. 
Clementi,  Sonatinas,  Op.  36,  Nos.  1  and  2. 
Beethoven,  Sonata,  Op.  49,  No.  1. 

III-IV.    Mozart,  Sonata  in  C  major  (Edition  Peters,  No.  15). 
Reinecke,  C,  vSonatina  in  D  major. 

IV.   Haydn,  Sonata  in  F  major  (Edition  Peters,  No.  20). 
Mozart,  Sonata  in  G  major  (Edition  Peters,  No.  14). 

V.   Beethoven,  Sonatas,  Op.  2,  No.  1 ;  Op.  10,  No.  1 ;  Op.  14,  Nos.  1 
and  2. 
Mozart,  Concertos  in  D,  E  flat,  and  C  major. 
Beethoven,  Concerto  No.  1,  Op.  15. 

V-VI.   Bach,  Italian  Concerto. 

Schumann,  Papillons,  Op.  2. 
Mendelssohn,  Concerto  in  G  minor. 

VI.   Bach,  Chromatic  Fantasie. 

Mendelssohn,  Fantasie,  Op.  28. 
Hiller,  F.,  Concerto,  Op.  69. 


PIANO   TEACHING  155 

VI-VII.    Grieg,  Sonata,  O]).  7. 

Beethoven,  Sonatas,  Op.  ^^S  and  Op.  57. 

\'II.    Chopin,  Sonata  in  B  flat  minor. 
Schumann,  Concerto,  Op.  54. 
Grieg,  ("oncorto,  Oj).  Itj. 

Your  most  effective  material,  however,  will  lie  in  the  care- 
fully selected  lists  of  short  pieces.  These  should  be  so  compre- 
hensive that,  whatever  element  you  are  desirous  ^^^^^  ^^  ^^^^^ 
of  emphasizing  in  any  grade,  you  will  have  some-  pieces  as  teaching 
thing  to  illustrate  it.  As  far  as  possible,  too,  the 
piece  should  exalt  one  element  to  the  entire  subordination  of  all 
others.  Especially  when  the  pupil  is  laying  his  technical  foun- 
dations should  his  pieces  contain  no  complications  of  interpre- 
tation. In  his  first  piece,  the  simplest  form  of  melodic  legato 
should  prevail,  as  in  the  following  compositions: 

LIST  D 

Grade  TeCHNIC,     LeGATO    WoRK 

I.   Armand,  J.  C,  Four  little  pieces  in  C  major. 
Pratt,  S.  G.,  A  Prelude,  C  major. 
Behr,  Fr.,  Shepherd's  Song,  Op.  575,  No.  6. 

II.    Cadman,  C.  W.,  Under  the  SpreadingChestnut  Tree,  Op.  37,  No.  G. 
Orth,  L.  E.,  The  Merry-go-round,  Op.  6,  No.  2. 
Cadman,  C.  W.,  In  the  Hammock,  Op.  35,  No.  3. 

III.  Bohm,  La  Fontaine,  Op.  22L 
Lange,  New  Spring. 

Pacher,  Austrian  Song,  Op.  69. 

IV.  Daquin,  Le  Coucou. 

Haberbier,  Scherzino,  Op.  53,  No.  10. 
Lavallee,  Le  Papillon,  Op.  18. 
Handel,  Fantasia  in  C  major. 

IV-V.   Seeling,  Impromptu,  Op.  8,  No.  1. 

MacDowell,  Alia  Tarantella,  Op.  39,  No.  2. 
Mendelssohn,  Spinning  Song. 

V.    Chopin,  Prelude,  Op.  28,  No.  3. 
Godard,  B.,  .4u  Rouet. 

V-^'I.    Sinding,  Friihlingsrauschen. 

Beethoven,  Last  Movement  of  Sonata,  Op.  26. 


156  PIANO   TEACHING 

VI.    Raff,  La  Fileuse. 

MacDowell,  Hexentanz,  Op.  17,  No.  2. 

VI-VII.    Moszkowski,  In  Autumn,  Op.  36,  No.  4. 
Schumann,  Traumeswirren,  from  Op.  12. 

VII.   Liszt,  Etude  in  D  flat. 

Pieces  involving  varied  forms  of  the  staccato  touch  will  he 
required  somewhat  later,  but  are  introduced  at  this  point  since 
they  involve  mainly  the  question  of  technic. 

LIST  E 

Grade  TeCHNIC,    StaCCATO   WoRK 

I.  Wohlfahrt,  H.,  Polketta,  Op.  61,  No.  22. 

II.    Hofmann,  H.,  Little  Rogue,  Op.  77,  No.  1. 
Kern,  C.  W.,  Moorish  Dance,  Op.  lOG. 
GurUtt,  C,  Salto  Mortale,  Op.  101,  No.  20. 
Hackh,  Otto,  The  Little  Soldier,  Op.  380,  No.  1. 
Sartorio,   A.,  A  Frolic,  Op.  229,  No.  16. 

III.  Guilmant,  Petite  Marche,  Op.  48,  No.  4. 
Bohm,  .Joyous  Youth. 

Spmdler,  Staccato  Etude,  Op.  221,  No.  2. 

IV.  Chaminade,  Calhrhoe,  Air  de  Ballet  in  G  major. 
Lack,  Th.,  Pizzicato-Bluette,  Op.  152. 
Delahaye,  Menuet  Columbine. 

Huss,  H.  H,,  Etude  Mclodique  (for  wrist  movement). 

V.   Moszkowski,  Scherzino,  Op.  18,  No.  2. 
Mendelssohn,  Fantasie,  Op.  16,  No.  2. 

VI.   Nevin,  E.,  Arlecchino,  Op.  21,  No.  1. 
Mendelssohn,  Rondo  Capriccioso. 

VI-VII.   Raff,  Rigaudon,  Op.  204,  No.  3. 

VII.   Moszkowski,  Etincelles,  Op.  36,  No.  6. 
Brahms,   J.,  Capriccio,  Op.  76,  No.  2. 

When  the  elements  of  interpretation  are  reached,  the  task  of 
finding  pieces  which  emphasize  only  one  phase  of  the  subject 
Grouping  of  pieces  bccomcs  more  difficult,  and  you  will  be  obliged 
S^mentfci'intl  somctimcs  to  assigu  to  a  given  list  a  piece  of 
pretation.  which  important  parts  belong  logically  to  other 

groups.     If,  however,  a  factor  like  that  of  rhythm  stands  out 


PIANO   TEACHING 


157 


prominently,  you  will  not   hesitate  to  classify  the  piece  upon 
this  basis. 

There  are  two  varieties  of  rhythmic  pieces,  namely,  those  in 
which  the  metric  accent  is  strong  with  few  complicated  time- 
divisions,  and  those  in  which  such  complications  are  numerous. 

LIST  F 

Grade  RhythM,   PlaiN 

I.   Evarts,  Ralph.,  Let's  be  Merry. 

Bordman,    G.    N.,  The  lihu-ksmith's  Song. 
Ehmant,   A.,  Waltz  in  C.     (Four  First  Grade  Pieces.) 
IL    Cadman,  C.  W.,  Mi.ster  Policeman  (March),  Op.  35,  No.  9. 
Muller,  C,  Minuet  in  G. 
Orth,  L.  E.,  The  Merry-so-round,  Op.  6,  No.  4. 

IIL    Guilmant,  A.,  Tarantelle,  Op.  48,  No.  6. 

Hofmann,  H.,  Gavotte,  Op.  77,  Bk.  2,  No.  5. 
Hitz,  F.,   Bonjour. 

III-IV.   Von  Wilm,  N.,  Mazurka,  Op.  8,  No.  2. 

IV.   Dolmetsch,  V.,  En  Balancelle,  Op.  93. 

Orth,  John,  Valse  Gracieuse,  Op.  7,  No.  3. 
Schubert,  Minuet  in  B  minor. 
Grieg,  Humoreske,  Op.  6,  No.  3. 

V.   Borowskl,  F.,  Minuet  in  G  major. 

Bach,  J.  S.,  Gavotte  in  E  (Saint-Saens) . 

Nevin,  E.,  Shepherds  all  and  Maidens  Fair,  Op.  16,  No.  2. 

VI.   Weber,    Invitation  to  the  Dance. 
Sjogren,  Eroticon  in  A  fiat. 
Chopin,  Polonaise  in  A,  Op.  40,  No.  1. 

VI-VII.    MacDowell,  Polonaise,  Op.  46,  No.  2. 

Schutt,   Valse,  A  la  bien  aim'ee,  Op.  59,  No.  2. 

VII.   Moszkowskl,  Liebeswalzer. 

Chopin,  Polonaise  in  A  flat,  Op.  53. 

LIST   G 

Grade  RhYTHM,    CoMPLEX 

I.    Armand,  J.  O.,  Slow  Waltz  (Four  Little  Pieces  in  C). 
IL    Gurlitt,  Scherzo,  Op.  101,  No.  16. 

Cadman,  C.   W.,  The  Circus  Parade,  Op.  34,  No.  4. 
Reinecke,  Gavotte  in  C,  No.  1  (Old  and  New  Dances). 


158  PIANO  TEACHING 

III.  Sartorio,  Military  March,  Op.  229,  No,  3. 
Strelezki,  Polkette  in  B  flat  major. 
Tchaikovsky,  The  Lark's  Song. 
Lichner,  On  the  Meadow,  Op.  95,  No.  2. 

III-IV.   Lack,  T.,     Idilio. 

Bargiel,  Idylle,  G  major. 

Debussy,  The  Little  Shepherd,  from  the  "Children's  Corner." 

IV.  Chaminade,  Arlequine,  Op.  53. 
Godard,  B.,  Bergers  et  Bergeres. 
Whelpley,  B.,  Serenade,  Op.  4,  No.  3. 

V.  Bach,  J.  S.,  Fantasia  in  C  minor. 
Debussy,  Arabesque  in  E  major. 
Tchaikovsky,  Troika,  Op.  37,  No.  11. 

VI.   Moszkowski,  Air  de  Ballet,  Op.  36,  No.  5. 
Raff,  Villanella,  Op.  89. 

VI-VII.   Liszt,  Rhapsodic,  No.  11. 

VII.    Chopin,  Scherzo,  Op.  35. 

Melodies,  likewise,  may  be  grouped  in  two  divisions,  embrac- 
ing first  those  which  appear  only  in  a  single  voice  with  har- 
monic accompaniment,  and  second  those  which  appear  in 
more  than  one  part  either  as  contrasting  tunes  or  as  thematic 
fragments. 

LIST  H 

Grade  SiNGLE  MeLODY,  "WITH  ACCOMPANIMENT 

I.   Schumann,  Melody,  Op.  68,  No.  1, 
Behr,  F.,  Always  Gay. 
Thome,  F.,  Melody  in  C. 

II,   Gurlitt,  C,  Waltz,  Op.  101,  No.  11. 

Matthey,  J.  H.,  In  the  Meadow,  Op.  80,  No.  2. 
Grieg,  Albumleaf,  Op.  12,  No.  7. 

III.  Schubert,  Hedge  Roses,  arr.  from  Op.  3,  No.  3. 
Bossi,  M,  E.,  Barcarola,  No.  2  of  Kinder  Album. 
Massenet,  Melodie,  Op.  10. 

III-IV.  Kjerulf,  Spring  Song,  Op.  28,  No.  5. 
Schytte,  Berceuse  in  G  major. 

IV.  Ilynski,  Berceuse,  Op.  13,  No.  7. 
Schiitt,  Canzonetta  in  D  major. 

IV-V.    Mendelssohn,  Prelude  in  E  minor. 
Sinding,  Serenade  in  D  flat. 


PIANO   TEACHING  169 

V,   Chopin,  Nocturne  in  G  minor,  Op.  37. 

Raff,  I'^tutle  Mclodique. 
VI.   Schiitt,  Romance  in  G  flat. 
Chopin,  Berceuse. 
VI-VII.   Liszt,  Liel)estraum  in  A  flat. 
VII.   Chopin,  Nocturne,  Op.  37,  No.  2. 
Faure,  Sixth  BarcaroUe. 

LIST   I 

Grado  MeLODY,    COMPLEX 

I.   Ascher,  J.,  Song  without  Words,  Op.  59,  No.  4. 

Wohlfahrt,  H.,  A  Little  Dialogue,  Op.  61,  No.  7. 
II.   Schumann,  Happy  Farmer,  Op.  68,  No.  10. 

Cadman,  C.  W.,  The  Race  (Galop),  Op.  37,  No.  7. 
KuUak,  Th.,  Theme  and  Variations  in  A  major. 

III.  Handel,  Fugue  in  C  major. 

Paine,  J.  K.,  Wayside  Flowers,  Op.  26,  No.  2. 
Nevin,  E.,  Barchetta,  Op.  21. 
III-IV.   Beethoven,  Third  movement  from  Sonata,  Op.  2,  No.  2. 
Rubinstein,  A.,  Romance  in  F,  Op.  26,  No.  1. 

IV.  Chammade,  C,  Serenade,  Op.  29. 

Bach,  J.  S.,  Passepied  from  Fifth  English  Suite. 
Jadassohn,  S.,  Scherzo  in  Canon  fc^m.  Op.  35. 
V.   Schumann,  Warum,  Op.  12,  No.  3. 

Bach,  J.  S.,  Fugue  in  D  major,  Vol.  1,  No.  5  of  W.  T.  C. 
VI.   Schumann,  Aufschwung,  Op.  12,  No.  2. 

Bach,  J.  S.,  Fugue  in  C  sharp  minor.  Vol.  1,  No.  3  of  W.  T.  C. 
VII.   Mendelssohn,  Prelude  and  Fugue  in  E  minor. 
Brahms,  Rhapsodic,  Op.  79,  No.  2. 

Pieces  in  which  the  harmony  is  supreme  are  naturally  scarce 
in  the  earliest  grades,  where  s  mplicity  is  the  watchword.  They 
may  be  anticipated  by  the  practice  of  simple  hymns.  In  the 
later  grades,  the  modern  compositions  based  upon  shifting, 
kaleidoscopic  harmonies  find  their  place. 

LIST  J 

Grade  HarMONY 

I.    Oesten,  T.,  The  Dancing  Master,  Op.  61,  No.  6. 
II.   Behr,  F.,  Quiet  Prayer,  F  major. 

Gurlitt,  C,  Morning  Prayer,  Op.  101,  No.  2. 
Cadman,  C.W.,  The  Curfew,  Op.  35,  No.  10. 
Schumann,  Choral,  Op.  68,  No.  4. 


160  PIANO  TEACHING 

III.  Mendelssohn,  Klavierstiick,  Op.  72,  No.  1. 
Jensen,  The  Mill,  Op.  17,  No.  3. 

Schubert,  Hark,  Hark,  the  Lark,  arr.  by  A.  Ruthardt. 

IV.  Grieg,  Erotik,  Op.  43,  No.  5. 
Paderewski,  Melodie,  Op.  8,  No.  3. 
Chopin,  Prelude,  Op.  28,  No.  4. 

IV-V.   MacDowell,  Old  Love  Story,  Op.  61,  No.  1. 
Strauss,  R.,  Tri.iumerei. 

V.   Schumann,  Arabesque,  Op.  18. 
Paderewski,  Nocturne  in  B  flat. 

VI.   MacDowell,  From  a  German  Forest,  Op.  61,  No.  3. 

From  a  Wandering  Iceberg,  Op.  55,  No.  2. 
Grieg,  To  Spring. 
Debussy,  Clair  de  Lune,  from  Suite  Bergamasque. 

VII.   Brahms,  Intermezzo,  Op.  117,  No.  1. 
Reinecke,  Ballade  in  A  flat. 
Ravel,  Jeux  d'eau. 

Finally,  those  pieces  are  grouped  together  in  which  balancing 
phrases  and  their  union  in  a  S3'mmetrical  architectural  structure 
form  the  basis  of  study.  As  the  factor  of  diversity  is  here  a 
prime  necessity,  the  elements  of  rhythm,  melody,  and  harmony, 
will  each  present  points  of  interest. 

LIST  K 

Grade  PHRASING 

I.  Breslauer,  E.,  Little  Gavotte,  Op.  46,  No.  28. 
Loomis,  H.  W.,  A  True  Story,  Op.  78,  No.  3. 
Remecke,  Little  Song,  Op.  183,  No.  2. 

II.   Hofmann,  H.,  Little  Rogue,  Op.  77,  Bk.  1,  No.  1. 

Cadman,  C.  W.,  Dance  of  the  Sunbeams,  Op.  34,  No.  8. 

III.  Guilmant,  A.,  Alia  Siciliana,  Op.  48,  No.  2. 
Sartorio,  A.,  Airiness,  Op.  229,  No.  17. 
Von  Wilm,  N.,  Gavotte,  Op.  81,  No.  10. 

III-IV.   Lack,  Th.,  Madrigal,  Op.  136. 
Ehrlich,  Barcarolle  in  G  major. 

IV.  Backer-Grdndahl,  A.,  Serenade  in  F  major. 
Mozart,  Fantasia  in  G  minor. 

IV-V.   Reinhold,  H.,  Impromptu,  Op.  28,  No.  3. 
Nevin,  E.,  II  Rusignuolo,  Op.  21,  No.  5. 


PIANO   TEACHING  161 


V.   Von  Wilm,  N.,  Impromptu,  Op.  57,  No.  1. 
Rheinberger,  Ballade  in  G  minor. 
Schumann,  Vogel  als  Prophet,  Op.  82,  No.  7. 

V-VI.   Schubert,  Impromptu,  Op.  142,  No.  3. 

MacDowell,  Poems  after  Heine,  Nos.  2  and  3. 

VI.   Saint-Saens,  Caprice  on  Gluck's  "  Alceste." 
Moszkowski,  Gondoliera,  Op.  41. 

VII.   Schubert-Liszt,  Hark,  Hark,  the  Lark! 
Sgambati,  Fifth  Nocturne. 


Another  grouping  separates  compositions  into  the  brilliant 
and  the  soulful  styles.  Inasmuch,  however,  as  most  rhythmic 
and  technical  pieces  fall  under  the  former  cate-  other  possible 
gory  while  the  purely  melodic  are  found  in  the  ''^*^' 
latter,  these  have  already  been  systematized.  You  may  also 
wish  to  group  those  compositions  which  have  some  special 
application,  like  those  for  octave  playing,  or  those  for  the 
development  of  the  weak  fingers.  Ensemble  works,  too,  will 
be  assigned  their  place.  Since,  however,  all  these  are  not 
essential  to  your  primal  equipment,  I  shall  leave  them  to  grow 
from  your  own  experience.  I  may  suggest,  however,  as  a 
starting  point  for  four-hand  performances  among  the  little 
folk,  the  two  books  of  Very  Easy  Piano  Duets,  in  Ditson's 
Half-dollar  Music  Series,  in  whxh  both  treble  and  bass  parts 
are  adapted  to  the  capacity  of  beginners. 

It  is  evident,  then,  that  the  problems  relating  to  the  selection 
of  music  are  some  of  the  most  important  which  the  teacher  has 
to  face.     He  must,  accordingly,  keep  a  series  of   ^ 

.  '^  -^  '  ^  Summary. 

graded  lists,  covering  at  least  all  the  ordinary 
cases  which  he  is  apt  to  meet,  and  of  which  each  item  has 
received  careful  examination  previous  to  its  insertion.  The 
lists  may  originally  be  culled  from  friends,  publishers,  and 
musical  literature,  and  will  be  enriched  by  after  experience.  To 
be  considered  worthy  of  admission,  also,  a  piece  must  be  well 
written,  attractive,  pianistic,  and  illustrative.  The  range  of 
subjects  covered  will  include  studies,  both  technical  and  inter- 
pretative,  pieces   which   emphasize   individually   each   of  the 


162  PIANO   TEACHING 

musical    elements,    compositions    of    special    application,    and 
ensemble  works. 

In  thus  outlining  the  work  which  you  are  called  upon  to  per- 
form in  the  various  branches  of  piano  instruction,  I  realize 
that  I  am  proposine  what  seems  at  first  sight  an 

Conclusion.  f      t  a  ,,  t  i 

Herculean  task.  "How  can  I  ever  hope,  I  hear 
you  say,  "  to  lead  this  poor  little  mind  of  my  timid  beginner 
through  such  a  maze  of  perplexities!"  I  have,  however, 
described  only  the  real  and  necessary  factors  of  a  complete 
knowledge  of  piano  playing;  and,  in  becoming  a  teacher  of  the 
instrument,  you  assume  the  responsibility  of  bringing  your 
pupils  to  a  comprehension  of  these.  It  is  not  often  that  you 
will  have  the  opportunity  of  leading  an  individual  pupil  through 
every  step  of  the  journey, — many  will  drop  out  on  the  way,  some 
will  not  have  the  endurance  to  proceed  beyond  a  certain  stage, 
while  others  will  have  traversed  part  of  the  distance  before 
coming  under  your  care, — but  whatever  their  aptitudes  or  wishes, 
you  should  remain  loyal  to  your  own  ideals  and  convictions, 
and  lead  your  pupils  unswervingly  along  the  path  which  you 
have  recognized  as  that  tending  toward  thoroughness  and  sin- 
cerity. There  will  be  many  discouragements,  and  frequent 
temptations  to  cater  to  popular  or  unworthy  tastes.  Only  by 
overcoming  these,  however,  will  you  retain  your  final  self- 
respect.  The  piano  has  become  one  of  the  important  and 
necessary  factors  of  modern  civilization.  Thousands  of 
children,  youths  and  maidens,  men  and  women,  are  spending 
many  hours  of  their  lives  in  persevering  attempts  to  extract 
its  hidden  treasures.  It  remains  for  you  and  your  colleagues 
to  decide  whether  they  shall  discover  only  tinsel  and  dross,  or 
the  pure  gold  and  priceless  gems  that  lie  ready  to  reveal  them- 
selves at  the  magic  touch  .which  it  is  your  duty  and  privilege 
to  impart. 


LIST    OF    BOOKS    MENTIONED    IN    THE    TEXT 

Apthorp,  William  Fosteu.     The  Opera,  Past  and  Present. 

Pp.    xiv  +  238.     Charles   Scribner's   Sons,    New   York,    1901.     $1.25. 
Summarizes  the  development  of  opera,  with  sketches  of  composers 
and  their  works. 
Baltzell,  W.  J.     Biographical  Dictionary  of  Musicians. 
Pp.  300.      Oliver  Ditson  Company,  Boston,  1910.     $1.25. 

Concise  biographical  sketches  of  nearly  three  thousand  musicians,  with 
pronunciation  of  proper  names. 
Brown,  Jean  Parkman.     Intervals,  Chords,  and  Ear  Training. 
Pp.  110.     Oliver  Ditson  Company,  Boston,  1897.     $1.00. 

A  course  in  elementary  harmony,  admirably  adapted  for  use  in  con- 
nection with  piano  instruction. 
Bcllard,  Frederic  Field,  Editor.     Burrowes'  Piano  Primer. 
Pp.   X  +  86.     Ohver  Ditson  Company,  Boston,  1904.     .$0.50. 
A  critically  revised  edition  of  a  standard  work. 
\J    Caffin,  Charles.     How  to  Study  Pictures. 

Pp.  XV  +  513.     The  Century  Co.,  New  York,  1906.     $2.00. 
By  the  method  of  comparison  the  characteristics  of  the  great  artists 
and  schools  of  art  are  admirably  presented. 
Chase,  Mary  Wood.     Natural  Laics  in  Piano  Technic. 
Pp.  xiv  +  128.     Oliver  Ditson  Company,  Boston,  1910.     $1.2.5. 

A  practical  course  in  technic,  with  many  plates  showing  hand-  and 
finger-positions. 
Christiani,  A.  F.     The  Principles  of  E.rpression  in  Piano  Playing. 
Pp.  303.     Harper  and  Brothers,  New  York,  1885.     S3.00. 

Treats  the  whole  subject  of  phrasing  and  interpretation  in  rausicianly 
style. 
Dickinson,  Edward.     The  Study  of  the  History  of  Music. 

Pp.  xhi  +  409.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York,  1905.     $2.50. 
Summarizes  the  results  of  each  musical  epoch,  and  points  the  way  to 
further  study. 
Elson,  Louis  C.     Music  Dictionary. 

Pp.  306.     Oliver  Ditson  Coini)any,  Boston,  1905.     SI. 00. 

A  pronouncing  dictionary  of  all  terms  connected  with  music.     The 
same  author's  Pocket  Music  Dictionary,  at  thirty-five  cents  per  copy, 
is  useful  for  pupils. 
FiNCK,  Henry  T.     Songs  and  Song  Writers. 

Pp.  XV  -I-  254.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York,  1902.     $1.25. 
Traces  the  development  of  the  Song  from  the  earliest  times  to  the 
present. 

103 


1G4  PIANO   TEACHING 

Fisher,  Henry.     Psychology  for  Music  Teachers. 

Pp.  vi  +  181.     J.  Curwen  and  Sons,  Ltd.,  London.     $1.20. 

A  thoughtful  and  stimulating  book,  treating  of  the  philosophical  side 
of  teaching. 
FooTE,  Arthur.     Some  Practical  Things  in  Piano  Playing. 
Pp.  34.     Arthur  P.  Schmidt,  Boston,  1909.     $0.50. 

Full  of  suggestive  points  relative  to  technic  and  interpretation. 
GoEPP,  Philip  H.     Symphonies  and  their  Meaning  (two  series). 
Pp.,  1st  series,  407;  2nd  series,  xx  +  498.     Each,  $2.00. 
J.  B.  Lippincott  Co.,  Philadelphia,  1908. 
Gives  a  critical  analysis  of  the  standard  symphonic  works. 

GoETSCHius,  Percy.     Lessons  in  Musical  Form. 

Pp.  vii  +  14G.     Oliver  Ditson  Company,  Boston,  1904.     $1.25. 
A  brief  and  clear  outline  of  musical  structure. 
Grove's  Dictionary  of  Music  and  Musicians. 

Five    volumes,    revised    edition    beginning   in    1904.     Macmillan    Co., 
New  York.      $25.00. 
Although   not  without   many  faults,  this  is   still  the  most  complete 
existing  encyclopedia  of  music. 
Hamilton,  Clarence  G.     Outlines'  of  Music  History. 

Pp.  xi  +  292.     Oliver  Ditson  Company,  Boston,  1908.     $1.50. 

A  fully  illustrated  summary  of  musical  systems  and  events,  which  is 
now  in  use  in  many  colleges,  conservatories,  and  high  schools. 
HoRNE,  H.  H.     The  Psychological  Principles  of  Education. 

Pp.   xiii  +  433.     The    Macmillan    Co.,    New    York,    1906.     $1.75. 
A  philosophical  treatment  of  pedagogy. 

James,  William.     Talks  to  Teachers. 

Pp.  xi  +  301.     Henry  Holt  and  Co.,  New  York,  1899.     $1.50. 
A  stimulating  series  of  lectures  to  teachers. 

Johns,  Clayton.     The  Essentials  of  Pianoforte  Playing. 

Pp.  ix  +  84.     Oliver  Ditson  Company,  Boston,  1909.     $1.50. 

A  clear  exposition  of  the  materials  of  music,  designed  to  produce 
musicians  as  well  as  pianists. 

KoTZSCHMAR,  Mrs.  Hermann.     Half-Hour  Lessons  in  Music. 
Pp.  vi  +  122.     Oliver  Ditson  Company,   Boston,   1907.     $1.00. 
A  practical  system  of  class-work  with  small  children;  fully  illustrated. 

Lavignac,  Albert.     Musical  Education. 

Pp.  vii  +  447.     D.  Appleton  and  Co.,  New  York,  1903.     $2.00. 

Tells  how  to  study  and  teach  every  branch  of  music,  and  includes  a 
resume  of  the  work  of  prominent  conservatories. 
Lavignac,  Albert.     Music  and  Musicians. 
■  Pp.  viii  +  504.     Henry  Holt  and  Co.,  New  York,  1901.     $3.00. 

A  popular  presentation  of  musical  subjects,  from  the  science  of  acous- 
tics to  music  h.istory. 


PIANO   TP: ACHING  165 

Matthay,  ToniAS.     The  First  Principles  of  Pianoforte  Playing. 

Pp.  viii  +  1-9-     Longmans,  Grcon  and  Co.,   London,   1905.     $0.75. 
An  exposition  of  tlie  ideas  on  technic  of  a  prominent  modern  teacher. 

MoKciAN,  C.  Lloyd.     Psijchnlofjij  for  Teachers. 

Pp.  xi  +  240.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York,  19()L     $L25. 
A  clear  and  simple  treatment  of  an  abstruse  subject. 

Myers,  P.  V.  N.     General  History,  revised  edition. 
Pp.  779.     Ginn  and  Co.,  Boston.     $L50. 

A  complete  outline  of  the  world's  history,  with  many  illustrations  and 
colored  maps. 

Parry,  C.  Hubert  H.     The  Evolution  of  the  Art  of  Music. 

Pp.  X  +  342.     D.  Appleton  and  Co.,  New  York,  190G.     $L75. 
A  philosophical  treatise  which  is  recognized  as  an  authority. 

Pratt,  Waldo  S.     The  History  of  Music. 

Pp.  683.     G.  Schirmer,  New  York,  1907.     $2.50. 

An  encyclopedic  amount  of  information  as   to  musical  events  and 
personages  is  here  logically  arranged  and  summarized. 

Reinach,  S.     The  Story  of  Art  throughout  the  Ages. 

Pp.   xi  +  31G.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons,   New  York,    1905.     $2.00. 
The  story  is  briefly  and  clearly  told,  with  numerous  illustrations. 

Riemann,  Dr.  Hugo.     Catechism  of  Pianoforte  Playing. 
Pp.  92.     Augener  and  Co.,  London.     $1.00. 

The  form  of  question  and  answer  is  used  to  discuss  many  important 
problems  connected  with  piano  playing. 

Stainer,  Sir  John.     Harmony. 

Pp.  12G.     Oliver  Ditson  Company,  Boston.     $0.75. 

A  fine  edition  of  the  standard  work  on  the  English  system  of  harmony. 

Streatfeild,  R.  a.     Modern  Music  and  Musicians. 

Pp.  xi  +  355.     Methuen  and  Co.,  London,  1906.     $2.75. 

A  critical  and  reliable  estimate  of  the  works  by  the  great  composers. 

Van  Dyke,  John  C.     Art  for  Art' s  Sake . 

Pp.   xii  +  249.      Charles    Scribner's  Sons,   New    York,    1893.     $1.50. 
Explains  the  principles  involved  in  modern  painting. 

Williams,  C.  F.  Abdy.     The  Story  of  Notation. 

Pp.  xvi  +  265.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York,  1903.     $1.25. 
Illustrates  the  history  of  notation  by  many  examples. 

York,  Francis  W.     Harmony  Simplified. 

Pp.  135.     Oliver  Ditson  Company,  Boston,  1901.     $1.00. 
A  clear,  elementary  treatise. 


INDEX 


Academic  pupil,  110 
Accent,  gradations  of,  SO 

importance  of,  77 

legato,  79,  99 

low  grade  and  high  grade,  78 

metric,  81,  82,  83,  95,  96 

pedal,  80,  99 

rubato,  78,  94,  99 

staccato,  80 

word,  77 
Accompaniment  chords,  99 

pupil,   142 
Accounts,  how  to  keep,  IG,  17 
Age  to  begin  lessons,  41 
Alberti  bass,  102 
Amount  of  study  required,  2 
Analysis  of  Mendelssohn's  Venetian 

Gondellied,  114 
Arpeggiated  chords,  use  of,  100 
Arpeggios,  65,  66 

Atmosphere,  a  unifying  factor,  115 
Attack,  unison  in,  100 
Audible  counting,  74 
Audience,  consideration  for,  128 

imaginary,  122 

mental  attitude  toward,  122,  125 

Balance  in  music  and  kindred  arts, 

105,  100 
Balancing  phrase-waves,    106,    107, 

108 
Beginners,  40 
mature,  48 
Bills,  how  to  collect,  17 

how  to  render,  17 
Blunders    and    mistakes,    how    to 
eradicate,  33 
how  to  prevent,  32 


Business  details,  13 
principles,  1 

Cadenza,  98 

Card  system,  10,  149 

Cards,  professional,  10 

Careless  pupil,  138 

Chord  practice,  65,  66 

Chord  progressions,  emotional,  101 

Chords,  arpeggiated,  100 

Chords  of  the  seventh,  66 

Chromatic  scale,  65 

Circulars,  13,  15 

Class-work,  131,  132,  134 

advantages  of,  132 
Clef,  F,  46 

G,  43 
Client  and  teacher,  25,  26,  27 
Climax,  a  unifying  factor,  110,  111 
Combination  exercises,  59 
Concentration,  30 
Concerted  pieces,  130 
Conduct  of  the  lesson,  18 
Contraction  exercises,  58 
Contrast,  a  unifying  factor,  109 
Counting,  audible,  74 
Criticism,  methods  of,  35 
Cross-rhythm,  76,  77 

Desk  supplies,  10 
Dotted  notes,  74,  97 

Emotion,  childlike,  116 

mature,  117 

vital,  118 
Equipment  necessary,  1,  2,  4,  12 
Exercises,  application  of,  to  all  keys 
and  registers,  59 


167 


168 


INDEX 


Exercises,  Continued, 

combination,  59 

contraction  and  expansion,  58 

exceptional,  66 

with  fingers  over  adjoining  keys, 
57 
Expansion  exercises,  58 
Expression,  principles  of,  97,  111 

variety  in,  116 

wrong  ideas  of,  116 

Finger  gymnastics,  57 

technic,  19;  regulation  of,  53 

work,  43,  44,  57 
Fingering,  68 

attitude  of  teacher  toward,  68 

prescribed  systems  of,  68 
Four-hand  pieces,  161 

Grace-notes,  rendition  of,  75 
Graded  lists  of  music,  5,  151 

Hand-position,  changing,  46 
Harmony  pieces,  list  of,  159 
Historical  perspective,  5 

Illustrative  playing  by  the  teacher, 

34 
Imagination,  stimulation  of,  115 
Imaginative   ideas,  how  to  attach, 

to  a  piece,  36 
Imitation  of  a  singer,  89 
Indifferent  pupil,  138 
Individuality  of  pupils,  28 
Instruction  book,  first,  41 
Interpretation  studies,  list  of,  153 ; 

the  three  elements  involved  in,  70; 

unity  in,  104 

Jumps,  long,  98,  99 

Keyboard,  location  of  fingers  on,  42 
Knowledge  of  compositions,  5 

of  fundamentals,  4 

of  harmony,  5 


Legato  accent,  79,  81,  99 
Lesson  hours,  how  to  arrange,  18 
Lessons,  age  at  which  to  begin,  41 

conduct  of,  18 

frequency  of,  14 

length  of,  14 

omitted,  15 

plan  of,  19 

price  for,  14 
List    of    books    mentioned    in    the 
text,  163 

of  harmony  pieces,  159 

of  interpretative  studies,  153 

of  melody  pieces,  complex,  159 ; 
single,  158 

of  phrasing  pieces,  160 

of  rhythmic  pieces,  complex,  157; 
plain,  157 

of  study  pieces,  154 

of   technic    pieces,    legato   work, 
155;  staccato  work,  156 

of  technical  studies,  152 
Lyric  melody,  92,  93,  97 

Melodic  expression,  93,  94 
Melodies,  simultaneous,  91 
Melody  and  accompaniment,   pro- 
portion between,  89,  90,  91 

and  accompaniment,  problem  of, 
88 

divided  between  the  hands,  90 

fragmentary,  92 

lyric,  92,  93,  97 

pieces,  complex,  list  of,  159 

pieces,  single,  list  of,  158 

playing,  147 

thematic,  92 
Memorandum  books,  18 
Memorizing,  118,  119,  122 
Mendelssohn's  style,  117 
Meter,  nature  of,  81 
Method,  143 
Methods,  54,  55 

characteristics  of,  54 


INDEX 


169 


Metric  accent,  81,  82,  83,  95,  96 
Metronome,  use  of,  71 

in  scale  practice,  72 
Metronome  marks,  85 
Mistakes    and    blunders,    how    to 
eradicate,  33 

how  to  prevent,  32 
Mistaufiht  pupil,  141 
Music,  chanjiinfi  the  style  of,  37 

for  pupils,  how  to  furnish,  16 

how  to  form  lists  of,  148 

how  to  record  lists  of,  149 

principles  in  selection  of,  150,  151 

room  and  its  furniture,  9 

selection  of,  147 

when  to  give  first  piece,  47 

Nervous  pupil,  135 
Normal  pupil,  145 
Note-values,  45 
Notes,  dotted,  74,  97 

grace,  75 

short  melodic,  97 

Omission  of  lessons,  how  to  treat,  15 
Over-confident  pupil,  136 

Parents,  cooperation  of,  47 
Passages,  combination,  112,  113 

principal,  112,  113 

running,  97,  98 

transition,  112,  113 
Patron,  how  to  meet,  25 
Pedal  accent,  80,  81,  99 

technic,  67 

use  of,  in  modern  music,  101 

use  of,  with   melodj'  and  accom- 
paniment, 101 
Phrasing,  94,  95,  96,  97 

accents  in,  95 

breadth  in,  95 

pieces,  list  of,  160 
Physical  exercises,  8 
Piano,  choice  and  care  of,  6 


Piano  teacher's  capital,  1 

library  of  books  about  music,  7,  8 

library  of  music,  7 
Places  for  teaching,  8 
Playing  in  public,  121,  122 

necessity  of  preparation  for,  123 

to  imaginary  audiences,  122 
Position,  change  of,  wiiile  teaching, 

35 
Positive  methods  of  teaching,  31 
Practice,  how  to  secure  regular,  20 

schemes  for,  22 

slips,  21 

system  in,  21 
Preparation  for  public  performance, 

123 
Price  for  lessons,  how  to  fix,  14 
Principles  of  expression,  93,  97,  111 
Program,  how  to  plan,  129,  130 

outside  assistance  at,  130 
Public  performance  of  pupils,  con- 
ditions   which    insure    success, 
128 

importance  of,  121 

mental  attitude  of  pupil,  125 

preparation  for,  123,  124 

rehearsal  for,  125 
Pupil,  academic,  140 

accompaniment,  142 

amount  of  work  assigned  to,  33 

attitude  of,  toward  his  music  and 
instrument,  38 

careless,  138 

first  lessons  with,  40 

how  to  enlist  interest  of,  34 

indifferent,  138 

long-fingered,  144 

mistaught,  141 

nervous,  135 

normal,  145 

over-confident,  136 

short-fingered,  143 

slow,  141 

stimulation  of,  35 


170 


INDEX 


Pupil,  Continued, 

stupid,  142 

talkative,  137 

who  cannot  execute,  145 

with  a  heavy  touch,  144 

with  a  weak  touch,  144 

with  good  intentions,  139 

with  stiff  muscles,  145 
Pupil-recitals,  advantages  in,  127 

bad  example  of,  126 

danger  in  display,  127 

conditions  which  insure  success, 
128 

how  to  plan  a  program,  129,  130 

outside  assistance  at,  130 
Pupils,  attitude  toward  an  audience, 
122 

influence,  11 

mistaught  advanced,  49,  50 

public  performances  of,  121 

securing  of,  10 

soliciting  of,  11 

well-taught,  51 

who  have  previous  knowledge,  48 
Pupil's  development,  stages  of,  104 

music,  how  to  furnish,  16 

Rehearsal  for   public  performance, 

125 
Rhythm,  81;  cross,  76,  77 
Rhythmic  accent,  83 

element,  70 

grouping  irregular,  73 

pieces,  complex,  157 

pieces,  plain,  157 
Romantic  pupil,  139 

school,  emotions  of,  117 
Rubato  accent,  78,  81,  84,  94,  99 

tempo,  86,  117 
Running  passages,  97,  98 

Scale,  chromatic,  65 

practice,  beginning  of,44 
practice,  significance  of,  59 


Scale,  Continued, 

practice  with  metronome,  72,  76 

study,  outline  course  of,  61 
Scales,  60,  61 

in  canon  form,  62 

in  contrary  motion,  62 

in  parallel  motion,  62 

in  sixths,  formula  for,  64 

in  thirds,  formula  for,  63 

minor,  practice  of,  64 

minor,  table  of,  64 

rhythmic,  62 

with  hands  separate,  61 

with  hands  together,  61 
Selection  of  music,  147 
Self-command,  28 
Self -consciousness,  122 
Short-fingered  pupil,  143 
Short  notes  in  melodies,  97 
Sight-reading,  3,  23 
Slow  pupil,  141 
Staccato  accent,  80 
Staff-construction,  42,  43 
Stage  fright,  126 
Stimulation  of  imagination,  115 
Studio,  9 

Stu  ly  pieces,  list  of,  154 
Stupid  pupil,  142 
Style,  Mendelssohn's,  117 
Symmetry,  a  unifying  factor.  111, 

112 
Sympathy,  27,  28 

Talkative  pupil,  137 

Teacher  and  client,  25,  26 

Teaching  in  classes,  131,  132,   134; 
advantages  of,  132 
positive  methods  of,  31 
time,  how  to  arrange,  18 

Technic,  19 

historical  development  of,  53 
list  of  pieces  for  legato  work,  155 
necessity  for  elastic  methods  of, 
143 


INDEX 


171 


Technic,  Continued, 

necessity  of  a  logical  system  of, 

55 
pedal,  67 
real  end  of,  56 

staccato  work,  list  of  pieces,  156 
Technical  exercise,  first,  42 

exercise,  test  of  its  efficiency,  56 
exercises,    systematized    list    of, 

57 
exercises,    value  of  simplicity  in, 

57 
exercises,  variety  in,  67 
Technical  studies,  list  of,  152 
Tempo,  acceleration  of,  through  lack 
of  control,  73 
as  affected  by  the  style,  85 
changes  in,  86 


Tempo,  Continued, 

dependence    of,    upon    the 
tions,  71 

flexibility  in,  85 

nature  of,  84 

rubato,  86,  117 
Thought-stimulation,  36 
Time-beats,     how     to     teach 

nature  of,  71 
Time-signatures,  45 
Time-values,    importance    of 

prehension  of,  70 
Tone-quality,  melodic,  89 
Touch,  phases  of,  54 
Transition  passages,  112 

Unity  common  to  all  arts,  105 
elements  of,  118 


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